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Gilbert Munetsi Sports Correspondent
WORLD Boxing Federation Africa heavyweight champion Elvis “Bulawayo Bomber” Moyo has temporarily swapped the ring for the box office and landed a big role in a new movie about the life and death of former world boxing champion, Sonny Liston.
Filmed in different parts of South Africa, the movie is being produced by Triology Media with Simon George directing.

Lately, Moyo, who has been balancing the shoot with gym time ahead of his March 16 fight in Vienna, Austria, said he was privileged to be part of the cast and even more thrilled to play the main character, Liston.
Liston, who lost his world title to Muhammad Ali on May 7 1964, is rated by Ring magazine as the seventh greatest heavyweight of all time and had a record of 50 victories (39 of them knockouts) and four losses. He fought Ali twice and lost on both occasions.

He died in January 1971 of a suspected heroin overdose and his body was found by his wife days later in their Las Vegas home.
Nicknamed “The Big Bear” during his hey days, Liston rose to fame when he claimed the world heavyweight title in 1962 after accounting for Floyd Patterson.

He became the inaugural World Boxing Council heavyweight champion.
Moyo said the producers must have seen something in him that reminded them of the attributes of the former late champion who has also been described as tough, with formidable punching power, possessing a long reach and tagging an intimidating appearance.

“Acting is very tiring. It needs patience and a good personality. I’m working with the most wonderful people who have made my experience pretty amazing – the cast, crew, make-up and costume artists, caterers, production team and the director himself.

“Despite complaining about the long hours, I still did a great job which earned me a priceless portrait which will forever remind me I was once Sonny Liston. Thanks to Trilogy,” said Moyo.

He said his attention was now focused on the forthcoming March bout in Austria in which he faces Croatian Ivica Perkovic in an international non-title match.

The 43-year-old opponent, who hails from the town of Sibenik, boasts of 23 wins (KO18) and 34 losses (KO15).
The fixture will prepare Moyo for a third return to Harare at the end of April where he is now expected to fight for a world title with a yet-to-be-named opponent.