In December of 2014, Lion Heart’s Board of Directors met and resolved to have one final go  developing Boxing in Zimbabwe by exploring the possibility of promoting a quarterly boxing series in Harare starting in April 2015.  As a result, the company decided to send its CFO, Edward Mendy, to Zimbabwe tasked with only one objective-investigate the feasibility of hosting a boxing tournament in Harare to be held on April 16 or April 23, 2015 in conjunction with Zim’s 35th Independence Day celebration, or other date as feasible.  Ancillary to same, Mendy was tasked with the following: (1) confirm a date, (2) secure a venue, (3) book Zim boxers to feature in the Main  Event, and/or co-main event, and  (4) secure board permission to host the event.

The Main Event of the proposed May 2015 inaugural event was slated to feature Former Two Time British Champion and Two Time Commonwealth Champion Danny Williams  (46-18) taking on Bulawayo’s own Thamsanqa Dube (12-3), a former WBA Pan-African Champion.  In the Co-Main Event, Namibian and former World Champion Harry Simon (30-0) was selected to take on an opponent to be announced.  The Undercard was to be highlighted by a special feature bout–WBC Africa Welterweight Charles Manyuchi  (15-2) was to defend his title on home soil for the first time ever or just do a rating fight (subject to the approval of his Zambian Promoter Chris Malunga and his partners).  Manyuchi is currently the most internationally recognized Zimbabwean Boxer and has been plying his trade in neighboring Zambia since 2012 for lack of options at home.  The event would have been broadcasted live on ZTV and streamed live worldwide on the Internet.  Further, the event would have been rebroadcasted on a delayed basis via regional sports channels in the USA, which reach over 165 Million American cable homes (over 100 Million unique homes) using Lion Heart Boxing Productions’ established contractual relationships.   Additionally, the event was slated to be syndicated regionally and in other markets, worldwide as feasible.

In furtherance of the company’s Zimbabwe ambitions, Mendy left New York for Harare on February 26, 2015 on exploratory mission.  He was received warmly by Zimbabweans of walks of life and spent a very enjoyable and productive ten days in Zimbabwe, visiting various cities and meeting with people.  Lion Heart was able to achieve all of the stated goals except the last one, secure ZBB support for the proposed event, even though the first meeting scheduled on Mendy’s agenda was the Board. Unfortunately, not only did the Zimbabwe Boxing Board not provide the requisite nod, it would not even convene an official meeting of the Board to receive Mendy or table Lion Heart’s plans. To date, and three weeks later, Lion Heart has not received any correspondence from the Board on its application to host an event in May.  The only information it has received relative to the event is from media reports, to the effect that the Board needs more time to deliberate.

Due to the ZBB’s non-responsiveness, Lion Heart regrettably has decided to put its Zim Project on hold indefinitely.  Says Lion Heart Event Coodinator Sporty Smith, “We have no choice but to put our Zim Project on hold since the ZBB has failed to afford us the smallest of professional courtesy.  We can understand a Board’s refusal to sanction an event it does not like it.  A failure by a Board to reply, meet deadlines it proposed and otherwise fail to communcate, however, is unheard of.  Not only was the board frosty in its welcome of Edward Mendy, it would not even convene a meeting of the board even though advance arrangements were made with it.  Further, the Board would not even give us the courtesy of a response despite numerous follow-up inquiries.  What is most shocking about the whole thing, the ZBB’s action (or inactions), is that it is not like the ZBB has sanctioned any real boxing events in its current term, a three-year term that expires in December, or have any boxing events scheduled on its calendar. Neither are any promoters other than Lion Heart knocking on the Board’s doors or trying to promote boxing events in Zimbabwe. Thus, we are truly perplexed given the extremely warm welcome and unabashed enthusiasm our project otherwise received from boxers, trainers, other members of the boxing community, the media, tourism and other government officials as well as ordinary Zimbabweans.  Basically we have a Boxing Board that has seen no boxing events in its current term, yet it is not acting on the only real boxing event tabled before it, and a proposed major tournament with internationally recognized start at that.”

Lion Heart’s efforts to help develop the sport of Boxing in Zimbabwe, the “Zim Project,” has spanned over a decade.  In addition to sponsoring various tournaments in Zimbabwe over the last decade, Lion Heart Boxing Productions and its owners have attempted to help advance the careers of numerous Zimbabwean boxers, including then undefeated Thamsanqa Dube and Ishmael Kuckocha, by sponsoring them to further their training and careers in the USA.   However, despite what it believes to be its best efforts, Lion Heart Boxing Productions has had very limited success with its Zim Project and has little or nothing to show for its Herculean efforts to help progress Boxing in Zimbabwe.

Boxing tournaments in Zimbabwe that Lion Heart sponsored did not achieve the desired financial results. Further, various local promoters and Zimbabwean partners (other than Gilbert Munetsi) that Lion Heart Boxing Productions had contracted with over the years had turned out to be unreliable and unproductive.  Many of local promoters and partners promised much and delivered little.  Further, the Zimbabwe Boxing Board would not approve the signing of any of the fighters that Lion Heart had interest in the 2000’s.  Most recently, Lion Heart agreed to help a small local promoter, Delta Force Promotions, with an event he planned by securing the event’s purse money and depositing same with the Boxing Board.  The local Promoter, however, was unable to organize the event to the Board’s satisfaction.  After that experience, Lion Heart finally resolved in 2014 to give up on its Zim Project.  However, Lion Heart was convinced by Chit Town based writer and former ZBB Board Member Gilbert Munetsi to persist in its Zim endeavors and keep on working on the Zim Project.

Says company CFO Edward Mendy, “To be honest, equal credit for our perseverance on the Zim Project should go to Gilbert Munetsi and I.   But for our continued pleading and my obstinacy in the face of adversity, Lion Heart would have long terminated its foray into Zimbabwe Boxing.”

Added Mendy, “After over ten years of working without success on our Zim Project, our lack of success in trying to sign various Zim boxers to bring to the USA in 2004-2005, the fiasco with Cox Chigwana in 2013 and our more recent unsuccessful efforts to help Clyde Musonda and his Delta Boxing Productions get their event of the grounds in 2013-14, we simply have to face the reality Zimbabwe may not be for us.  Our trials and tribulations in Zimbabwe are well-documented, covered in great part by the Zim media and well-known to members of the current Board.  While I am not one to give up easily, I learnt a long time ago that there is really no sound business reason for force a promotion in a jurisdiction with an unfriendly board.  This is very unfortunate considering the scale of the proposed May event, its potential to jumpstart Boxing in Zimbabwe and serve as a vehicle for sustainable Sports Tourism, the enthusiasm of other stakeholders and the great amount of work already put in the Zim Project.”

About Lion Heart Boxing Promotions (the Promoter)

Lion Heart Boxing Productions is global Boxing Promoter and Sports Entertainment Company based in the U.S. The company was set up in 2001 for the sole purpose of providing top quality events with highest entertainment value and has promoted boxing events on four continents. The Company quickly earned a reputation as a producer of high quality fights and is well respected for its fair treatment of fighters and commitment to fighters’ rights.

Lion Heart Boxing Productions has had as one of its pillars for corporate responsibility a special interest in helping to develop the sport of boxing in Africa. This interest led it to promote boxing in Zimbabwe and a half a dozen African countries, all with varying degrees of success.

Contact Information

For more information about Lion Heart Boxing Productions, Ltd., Thursday Night Fights @ Yas Island, or the Thursday Night Fights series, please call Edward B.  Mendy, Chief Financial Officer, at +973-650-9721 or write to him atebmendy@gmail.com or 11 Eric Drive, Kinnelon, NJ 07405.