MILLICENT HUNGWE
MASVINGO-The ancient city welcomes former IBF Welterweight World Champion Kell Brook, on Tuesday as part of his first-ever tour of Zimbabwe under the Meet & Greet Zimbabwe programme.
The Meet & Greet progamme is an initiative by fellow former world boxing champion, Charles Manyuchi to promote the sport.
Ezekiel “Kell” Brook (born 3 May 1986) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2022
Kell Brook retired from professional boxing in May 2022 at the age of 36, shortly after defeating his longtime rival Amir Khan.
The British boxing star, whose professional career record stands at an impressive 40 wins and 3 losses from 43 fights, will engage with boxing stakeholders, to participate in a clean-up campaign, and tour local boxing clubs and academies in Masvingo.
His visit is expected to inspire young athletes and contribute to the growth of boxing in the province.
Brook is widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest boxers of his generation. Of his 40 victories, 28 came by knockout, showcasing the power and skill that made him a fan favourite across the world.
His only defeats came against some of boxing’s greatest names, middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, and welterweight stars Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.
The Sheffield-born boxer held the IBF Welterweight World Title from 2014 to 2017 and was recognized by The Ring Magazine as the world’s best active welterweight in 2017.
The Midweek Watch confirmed that one of the defining moments of his career came in 2014 when he defeated the then unbeaten American Shawn Porter to capture the IBF title.
The victory made Brook the first British boxer since Lloyd Honeyghan in 1986 to win a world title from an unbeaten American on United States soil.
His visit to Zimbabwe represents more than a boxing tour; it is an opportunity for local athletes, coaches and sports administrators to learn from a fighter who competed at the highest level of the sport.
“Young boxers in Masvingo will have a rare chance to interact with a former world champion whose journey from local gyms in England to the pinnacle of professional boxing serves as an inspiration to aspiring athletes,” said a boxer from Masvingo who requested anonymity.
Kell Brook’s Zimbabwe tour includes Harare (31 May) for a press conference and academy visits, Gwanda (1 June) for meetings with provincial leadership and tours of boxing clubs, Masvingo (2 June) for stakeholder engagements, a clean-up campaign and academy visits, before returning to Harare (3 June) for further academy tours and a public meet-and-greet at Mudiwa Hood Arena.
