The Sunday Mail
CHARLES MANYUCHI chose the quiet environs of Chivhu, where he is slowly building his business, to celebrate his 29th birthday last Monday.
The pomp and fanfare that used to accompany his birthday during his reign as WBC welterweight champion is a thing of the past.
Whilst everyone wished Manyuchi many more years to come, the question on whether or not the boxer will rise again lingered in the minds of many.
Manyuchi has made futile attempts to regain his place among boxing’s elite since he lost his WBC silver welterweight title to Uzbek pugilist Qudratillo Abduqaxorov in Singapore on March 25, 2017.
His latest comeback fight ended in a defeat to Russian champion Magomed Kurbanov at the DIVS Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia on August 18 this year.
Manyuchi has pursued his new love, boxing promotion, leaving fans in doubt over his commitment to a career in the ring.
“I can do both,” he told The Sunday Mail Sport last week. “When I am not in camp I make sure my stable is taken care of. I am not quitting boxing anytime soon. I still have age and the energy to fight on.”
Manyuchi was only 23 when he started his ascendancy to the top echelons of boxing.
He beat Patrick Sou Toke of Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou on June 28, 2013, to land his first international title — the African Boxing Union crown.
Manyuchi went for the vacant WBC International welterweight title in March 2014 and knocked out Patrick Allotey of Ghana at the Government Complex in Lusaka, Zambia.
He made a huge step forward on May 6, 2016 when he defeated Russian welterweight champion Dmitry Mikhaylenko to land the WBC silver title at the DIVS Arena in Yekaterinburg.
The world was at Manyuchi’s feet.
And then the ground disappeared from beneath him. Manyuchi lost his WBC silver welterweight belt in a first round knockout at the hands of the unheralded Abduqaxorov last year.
“Mine has been a journey of blood, sweat and tears. I worked hard to reach the top, thanks to my Zambian promoters Oriental Quarries,” reflected Manyuchi.
“But you win some and lose some. I am glad I put Zimbabwe on the international boxing map and also managed to put food on my family’s table.
“I now have houses in Chivhu, I have some businesses that I am running and it’s all because of boxing. But without God I wouldn’t have achieved all this.”
With a record of 22-4-1, Manyuchi who has shifted to the super welterweight division, is now ranked 53rd in the world.
“I believe I will rise again,” said the boxer.
