The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
CHARLES MANYUCHI’S handlers have finalised talks with Uzbekistan’s Qudratilo Abduqaxorov in a deal that will see the Zimbabwean World Boxing Council silver welterweight champion defend his title in Singapore come February 2017.The 26-year-old Manyuchi was scheduled for a rematch with Russia’s Dmitry Mikhaylenko but The Sunday Mail Sport can reveal that he will instead face Asian champ Abduqaxorov.
Abduqaxorov (23) won the WBC Asian Boxing Council Silver welterweight title in July after beating highly-rated Filipino boxer Adones Cabalquinto, who had an impressive record of 24-1-0 before meeting the Uzbek.
The Manyuchi-Abduqaxorov duel is set, Manyuchi has signed the contract and last week he was in Zambia for medicals, a source revealed.
“The fight is in Singapore against a WBC Asian Boxing Council champion. That’s all I can tell you for now,” said the source on Friday.Manyuchi’s Zambian manager Chris Malunga was equally tight-lipped.
“I will give you more details before the end of the day,” Malunga said, but had not done so by the time of printing.
However, early in November he told this publication: “It is high time Charles gets high profile fights and that’s one of the main reasons I am going to the WBC Convention. We want to bid for the gold title, the one that Floyd Mayweather held before he retired.”
Manyuchi too would not be drawn into revealing details about his upcoming fight, and instead talked about his return to camp.
“I will start camp in Harare (this week),” said Manyuchi.
Malunga will travel to Florida in the United States for the 54th WBC Convention which begins on December 11 and he is expected to push Manyuchi’s bid for a shot at the WBC gold championship held by American Danny Garcia.
Oriental Quarries are hoping to build their case on the Singapore fight which they are confident Manyuchi will win, given the Asian champion’s lack of experience.
Although he is still to taste defeat, Abduqaxorov has eight fights, compared to Manyuchi who took his record to 20-2-1 when he knocked out Colombian boxer Agustin Julio Feria at the Harare International Conference Centre last month.
Manyuchi’s profile on the international boxing scene spiked when he defeated Russian champion Mikhaylenko in May to land the vacant WBC Silver title previously held by Britain’s Amir Khan.
The Zimbabwean star is now rated the fourth-best welterweight by the WBC, behind Garcia, Khan and Andre Berto who fought and lost to emeritus champion Floyd Mayweather Jr in September 2015.
