The Sunday Mail
Charles Manyuchi
CHARLES MANYUCHI, for the first time in his career, is now rated among the World Boxing Council welterweight top 20 boxers.
Manyuchi, who knocked out Tanzanian lightweight champion Ibrahimu Class in just 57 seconds on May 2, is now rated the 18th best WBC welterweight boxer in the world.
The rise in ranking should serve as a major boost as the Zimbabwean star prepares to defend his international WBC belt against Gianluca Blanco on July 18 in Italy.
“I just thank God that my talent is moving in the right direction,” said Manyuchi (26), who last month was ranked 22nd in the world.
He remains a contender to face pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr by virtue of holding a world title — though this is unlikely seeing as the American pugilist has said he will only have one more bout, most likely in September 2015.
Manyuchi’s belt is rated the third-best in the global welterweight division.
As Manyuchi was knocking out his challenger last weekend, Mayweather Jr was pushing his unblemished record to 48-0 when he beat fierce rival Manny Pacquiao.
Great Britain’s Amir Khan is the leading contender to face Mayweather Jr and is ranked second globally.
Argentine Marcos Maidana, who lost closely to Mayweather last year, is number three on a list that has Manyuchi as the only African in the top 20.
Manyuchi will improve his rating a great deal and move towards big money fights if he successfully defends his WBC International title against Italian champion Blanco in July.
He returns to camp this week to prepare for that fight, but first he may have to consider a rematch with Class as the Tanzanian feels he still can beat Manyuchi.
According to Zambia’s Daily Mail, Manyuchi’s stable Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions have offered to sponsor a May 22 re-match.
The proposed bout will be part of a card that will see Esther Phiri put her World International Boxing Association and World International Boxing Federation welterweight titles on the line against South Africa’s Sandra Almeida.
However, Manyuchi’s main focus remains Blanco, who is ranked four places higher than the Zimbabwean.
Blanco is also the European Boxing Union champion but Manyuchi is not reading much into that and sounded confident as he took a short break last week.
Of late, the Zimbabwean champion has been seeing a lot of Mayweather fights and training sessions.
“I watched the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight last Sunday and wow, that guy (Mayweather Jr) is just talented, an awesome boxer. He is intelligent, hardworking and dedicated to his job. His training schedule and pre-fight concentration levels really inspire me.
“He is proof that with proper preparation, hard work and focus, one can reach greater levels. There is nothing that can stop me from blowing the Italian away if I prepare thoroughly,” said Manyuchi.
The pugilist is confident of holding his own in Italy.
“I know this will be my first fight in Europe, but every country is my home because Jesus is everywhere. I know my fans are skeptical, they think the Italian job is like a mission impossible, but let me tell you, to me it’s a done job,” he said.
WBC Top 20 welterweight boxers:
CHAMPION – Floyd Mayweather
1. Amir Khan (GB)
2. Antonin Decarie (Can)
3. Marcos Maidana (Arg)
4. Shawn Porter (US)
5. Timothy Bradley (US)
6. Brandon Rios (US)
7. Konstantin Ponomarev (Rus)
8. Ray Robinson (US)
9. David Avanesyan (Rus)
10. Alfonso Gomes (Mexico)
11. Sadam Ali (US)
12. Charlie Navarro (Ven)
13. Diego Chaves (Arg)
14. Gianluca Blanco (Ita)
15. Sammy Vazquez Jr (US)
16. Mikael Zewski (Can)
17. Yoshihiro Kamegai (Jap)
18. Charles Manyuchi (Zim)
19. Devon Alexander (US)
20. Kevin Bizier (Can)
