THE World Boxing Federation (WBF) have described middleweight champion Charles Manyuchi as “an incredible ambassador” of the sport, who should be applauded for putting Zimbabwe on the world boxing map.
Manyuchi will vacate his WBF middleweight title on July 28, when he embarks on a trilogy of non-title farewell fights in three provinces.
The 33-year-old boxer will hang up his gloves after the scheduled bouts, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 15-year career.
This means Manyuchi will no longer defend the WBF middleweight title he won in September 2019.
His last defence was against Muhamad Sebyala of Uganda in Masvingo on July 3, 2021.
However, the WBF did not strip him of the title despite the mandatory six-month lapse.
Instead, WBF president Howard Goldberg revealed that the pugilist’s farewell fight will not be sanctioned by his organisation.
“Firstly, I have been in contact with Manyuchi and I do have a date for his next fight, which is apparently July 28.
“But this is not a title defence; the WBF have not sanctioned that fight and Charles knows that,” Goldberg told The Sunday Mail Sport.
“The WBF middleweight title will be vacated immediately after that fight, anyway, and we are going to have a fight in Germany for that title.”
Manyuchi has had the WBF middleweight belt for almost four years after a TKO win over Diego Diaz Gallardo of Argentina on September 28, 2019 at the Harare International Conference Centre.
“Charles has been an incredible ambassador for the WBF,” Goldberg said.
“He won the WBC titles and Zimbabwe was proud of him because he put the country on the world boxing map.
“I think he should be applauded for uplifting the name of Zimbabwe, even though sometimes it was difficult. He deserves the credit.”
Manyuchi has 30 fights since turning professional in 2009 and his record stands at 25-4-1.
He intends to extend his pro fights to 33 before retiring.
“The plan is to have three farewell fights in Harare, Masvingo and Chivhu,” Manyuchi said.
“It looks like we are on course, barring any last-minute changes,” he added.
The star boxer rose to national prominence 10 years ago, when he won the African Boxing Union welterweight title after beating Patrice Sou Toke in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on June 28, 2013.
He climbed one step up the ladder by claiming the World Boxing Council International welterweight title with a victory over Patrick Allotey of Ghana in Lusaka on March 14, 2014.
Manyuchi then defended the WBC International title twice, including a famous win over Gianluca Frezza in Italy, before landing the then-vacant WBC Silver welterweight title after beating Dmitry Mikhaylenko of Russia on May 6, 2016.
He relinquished the WBC Silver title in Singapore, when he suffered an embarrassing first-round knockout against Qudratillo Abduqaxorov on March 25, 2017.
