The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
Sports Reporter
THE trend started in August 2017, when legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather came out of retirement to deliver a 10th round win against UFC icon Conor McGregor, in what turned out to be a money-spinning fight.
With that win, Mayweather reached a record 50-0, eclipsing heavyweight great Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record of most boxing wins without a loss or a draw.
A retired Mayweather returned to the ring on New Year’s Eve in 2018 and needed 140 seconds to beat Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition bout in Tokyo worth a reported US$9 million.
Exhibition fights have since gained momentum.
They have become a money-spinning concept that is also now being used as a vehicle to revive interest in boxing.
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (54) fought and drew against former four-weight titleholder Roy Jones Jr (51) in a Los Angeles exhibition bout on November 28.
Tyson earned about US$10 million, part of which he donated to charity.
The exhibition craze peaked in early December last year when Mayweather announced his return to the ring in a “super exhibition” against YouTuber, internet star, podcast host, and actor Logan Paul.
The pay-per-view match is scheduled for February 20.
“Boxing was pretty much a dying sport. UFC was kicking our butts, and now we got these YouTube boxers boxing with 25 million views.
“Boxing is back. Thanks to the YouTube boxers,” Tyson told the Daily Mail last week.
And it seems like the exhibition craze has reached our shores, especially after last weekend’s match between former Cabinet minister Fortune Chasi (56) and 20-year-old comedian Ray Vines (real name Melusi Chiripowako) at the Harare International Conference Centre.
Chasi, who has never fought professionally before, knocked out his comical opponent in the fourth round and is now looking forward to another match with businessman Shingi Munyeza later this month.
“Going forward, we already have a challenge from Shingi Munyeza, an established businessman who has taken an interest in our cause.
“We think it will happen end of January. We certainly believe there should be more and more of these fights,” said Chasi.
It all started when Chasi posted videos of his training sessions on social media, which attracted a challenge from Ray Vines.
“I have, for the past two years, been exercising through boxing at the Borrowdale Race Course, and I would occasionally post my videos on social media.
“Credit really should go to Ray Vines, who upon seeing my training videos then challenged me for a match. Then I thought, why not?
“So we met for the first time — we had never met before — then agreed we should dedicate the match to charity.
“I have long and special interests in the girl child, especially menstrual health (issues) which unfortunately society ignore.
“I also have interests in the health of people living with albinism, and we sort of agreed on that framework to say our target would be those groups,” said the ex-Cabinet minister.
“Both of us were extremely delighted by the fact that Zimbabweans home and abroad waited with bated breath for this match to take place. The match was trending on social media . . . we need more of that.
“We also took the view that boxing was not in its rightful place; it was essentially a dying sport. I have been trying to promote boxing in my own constituency, trying to source a boxing ring and equipment, but I am yet to achieve that.
“We should profile the sport appropriately. There are so many skills that are not being discovered every day.
“If we profile the sport and bring in the corporate world to support, that would give boxing a good standing,” said Chasi.
Another bout
Match organiser Rumbidzai Mukombwe confirmed the fight between Chasi and Munyeza.
“We will have more of these exhibition fights. We are doing it for charity and also to promote boxing as a sport in the country.
“We have Fortune Chasi against Shingi Munyeza coming up soon. The dates and venue are yet to be confirmed,” said Mukombwe.
Former Zimbabwe welterweight and middleweight champion Modercai Donga feels more exhibition fights will heighten interest in the sport.
“I want to thank former minister Chasi and of course, Ray Vines for taking it upon themselves to have a feel of the ring and promote the sport,” said Donga, who is now a lawyer in Swaziland.
“We have a group of lawyers who have been following the proceedings with keen interest. There are a lot of people who are interested.
“This has proved that boxing is for all. I am advocating for the recognition of boxing as a fraternity, and am looking forward to a lot of these exhibition fights.
“Big thumbs up also to Charles Manyuchi; he is doing a lot for boxing. I am proud of him as a brother. Our sport will never die,” said Donga.
Lawrence Zimbudzana, boxing board secretary-general, added his weight to the exhibition craze.
“Exhibition fights serve a great deal of purpose in the development and promotion of boxing. Chief among a plethora of benefits is the generation of stakeholder interest in boxing.
“As you are aware, there are stereotypes when it comes to boxing. One of the commonly held notions is that it is a violent and dangerous sport.
“Furthermore, it is more often than not associated with poor and uneducated citizens. Now the advent of the exhibition fights goes a long way towards breaking this stereotype and creating a new narrative.
“Individuals with a newly-found interest in boxing obviously have a following both from the general populace as well as the corporate sector. It is our fervent hope that these followers also take a keen interest in the sport and we, as a sub-sector, also manage to retain them through availing multiple opportunities which exist in boxing,” said Zimbudzana.
