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Charles Manyuchi

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter

CHARLES Manyuchi’s dream of defending his World Boxing Council welterweight silver title at home suffered a blow as he will now face Colombia’s Jose Agustin Feria in a non-title fight. This comes after his initial opponent, Frenchman Damien Martin, pulled out of the highly-anticipated WBC welterweight silver voluntary title defence.The development was announced yesterday by Manyuchi’s manager Chris Malunga at a Press briefing at the Sport and Recreation Ministry offices in Harare, where he also confirmed Feria as the opponent for the Zimbabwean boxer.

The eight-round, non-title fight is set for Harare International Conference Centre on October 14.

“The opponent was identified by WBC, contracts were sent to them, they accepted the fight, in the process Damien Martin pulled out.

“We had a plan B. We know that the interest of the Zimbabwean people is to make sure that Charles fights on his home soil and we had two WBC championships. The tournament itself is still WBC championship because one of the WBC title involving a female will remain. Charles Manyuchi will fight as a main bout of the evening with a boxer I am officially now confirming called Jose Agustin Feria.

“I can confirm that Damien Martin officially pulled out, (for) reasons known to themselves. There are so many aspects why they pulled out. We cannot go into details, any boxer can pull out anytime. We had a plan B.

“He has a record of 25 fights, 21 wins, three loses and one draw and I think that is a very good record.

“He fights with Charles Manyuchi, the WBC silver champion for a non-title fight of eight rounds,” said Malunga.

Malunga said after Martin withdrew they were running out of time and the non-title is dedicated to Manyuchi’s fans who are eager to watch him fighting at home.

“The reasons why we have accepted to make it happen it’s because that is in the interest of the Zimbabwean people. They want to see Charles fighting at home.

“To prepare for a WBC fight you need above two months so technically the boxers who were brought forward to us felt it was a short notice to take up the fight,” Malunga said.

Manyuchi is now set for Russia in November where he will defend his title in a mandatory fight against Dmitry Mikhaylenko, whom he defeated in May to become the WBC welterweight silver champion.

“We are also looking at that he has to defend by November in Russia. Our personal interest also is that we have to make sure that immediately we defend in Russia.

“I am so positive that we will defend in Russia, then we do a tournament in honour of His Excellency because that is a promise. But this fight goes to the fans,” said Malunga.

There are a number of bouts on offer and the main supporting bout is a WBC title fight between Lolita Muzeya of Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions and Agness Mtimaukanena of Malawi. Boxing Control Board member Patrick Mkondiwa said the latest development would not affect the mandatory fight scheduled for next month.

“Since he has a fight soon it doesn’t matter as long as WBC sanction he is defending on 18 November, it doesn’t affect him at all. After all WBC are aware of this fight and it was too late to sanction a title fight.

“It’s not Charles’ problem, it’s his opponent who decided to chicken out,” said Mkondiwa.

The other supporting bouts will see Zambia’s Barbara Banda taking on Ellen Simwaka while Donald Kampamba is paired against Wesley MacDade (lightweight). Zimbabwe’s Tinashe Mutodza faces Mumbela Mukune of Malawi in a welterweight bout and Trevor Mpofu fights Aleck Gogoda in the heavyweight.

The other match is between Alfred Muwowo and Anyway Katunga in a flyweight bout.