The Sunday Mail
Langton Nyakwenda
TENSION is mounting and emotions are running high as the highly anticipated match-up between World Boxing Federation middleweight king Charles Manyuchi and retired former champion Mordicai “Big Fish” Donga draws closer.
Manyuchi threw a verbal jab at Donga on Wednesday, advising the Botswana-based lawyer to have his head examined for daring to challenge him.
That was hours after the 40-year-old Donga – who is preparing to come out retirement just to fight Manyuchi – had taunted the former WBC Silver title holder on his Facebook Page – claiming that Manyuchi was not a real champion.
“The fight the fans have demanded. The fight the ‘champion’ will regret. The fight the real champion will win. A new dawn,” Donga posted Wednesday morning.
Manyuchi responded vehemently, accusing Donga of being punch drunk and someone who needed mental therapy, in an exclusive interview with Sunday Mail Online.
“Maybe he (Donga) is punch drunk, as boxers those punches get to our memory and it affects us, sometimes we end up saying things that are not coherent,” charged Manyuchi.
“The challenge was on a Whatsapp group, Donga was given the courage by some people and he wants a fight. I can even fight him tomorrow and still beat him but his camp should follow procedures.
“If the right channels are followed, the contracts are negotiated and we go for medicals, I can give Donga a non-title fight and take him as my latest student,” boasted Manyuchi, who is also basking in glory after clinching another sponsorship with a local car dealer.
Staunch boxing supporter, Maxwell Chikwangwani, this week gave Manyuchi a brand new 18-seater mini bus as a token of appreciation for the boxer’s recent triumph in a WBF middleweight world title fight at the Harare International Conference Centre.
Manyuchi defeated Diego Gallardo in September to become the new WBF middleweight champion.
“We fell in love with Charles Manyuchi because he has proven that if someone is given an opportunity to follow his or her dreams he or she can make a living.
“We are businessmen who follow boxing. We have followed Manyuchi to Russia and Zambia and we want to support the sport in Zimbabwe,” Chikwangwani said.
The Harare car dealer promised Manyuchi another vehicle if he beats Donga, that is if the fight materialises at all.
“We have something, another vehicle for him should he win his next fight,” said Chikwangwani.
It was Manyuchi who sent Donga into retirement after defeating the former champion at Large City Hall in Bulawayo on June 3, 2011.
A rematch is on the cards eight years on as what started off as social media banter could soon manifest into a high stakes fight that could be staged in Harare on December 21.
“As a big boxer I don’t fear challenges but everything has to be done according to procedure. The last time Donga said he would go on retirement if he lost a fight and I beat him. Now maybe he wants me to send him back to eternal retirement,” said Manyuchi.
Donga retired with a 13-9-0 record.
