Zimbabwe is preparing to welcome two of boxing’s most recognisable figures as former heavyweight king Lennox Lewis and former welterweight champion Kell Brook embark on landmark visits aimed at strengthening the country’s boxing profile and promoting tourism.

The visits, organised by former WBC silver champion Charles Manyuchi in his personal capacity, come at a time when Zimbabwe’s boxing landscape is enjoying renewed international attention following a successful tournament staged in Mutare last weekend in partnership with the Municipality of Mutare.

Brook is expected to arrive in Harare this Saturday, while Lewis — one of the most celebrated heavyweight champions in boxing history — is scheduled to visit on June 11.

For Manyuchi, the visits represent far more than ceremonial appearances. They are part of a broader vision to reposition Zimbabwe as both a sporting destination and a viable host for international boxing events.

“This is about opening Zimbabwe to the world through sport,” Manyuchi said.

“We want international boxing legends to experience our country, interact with our young fighters and also see the tourism potential that Zimbabwe possesses.”

During their stay, the former champions are expected to engage with local boxers, coaches and administrators through training interactions, mentorship sessions and community engagements. Their itinerary will also include tours of two of Zimbabwe’s most iconic landmarks — Great Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls — as part of efforts to market Zimbabwe as a premier African tourism destination.

Manyuchi, through his academy, CMBA, believes the inclusion of the historic stone city of Great Zimbabwe and the world-renowned Victoria Falls adds an important cultural and heritage dimension to the visits, combining sport, history and tourism diplomacy.

The initiative reflects a growing recognition of sport as a vehicle for economic diplomacy and tourism promotion, particularly in countries seeking to expand their global image beyond traditional narratives.

Zimbabwe has previously hosted some of boxing’s biggest global personalities. In 2023, undefeated American boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. visited the country to huge public excitement. However, Mayweather’s itinerary was largely confined to the capital, Harare, where he attended business and entertainment engagements.

The upcoming tours by Lewis and Brook are expected to offer a broader showcase of Zimbabwe’s tourism appeal by taking the boxing legends beyond the capital and into some of the country’s most celebrated heritage and natural sites.

For Zimbabwe’s boxing fraternity, however, the presence of Lewis and Brook carries immense symbolic value.

Lewis remains one of the sport’s towering figures. Born in London and raised partly in Canada, the charismatic heavyweight dominated one of boxing’s golden eras. An Olympic gold medallist at the 1988 Seoul Games, Lewis went on to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, defeating some of the biggest names of his generation including Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Vitali Klitschko.

Renowned for his technical brilliance, devastating power and calculated ring intelligence, Lewis retired in 2003 with a professional record of 41 wins, two losses and one draw. To many boxing historians, he remains one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport.

His expected arrival in Zimbabwe is likely to generate significant excitement among local boxing enthusiasts, many of whom grew up watching his dominance during the heavyweight boom of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Brook, meanwhile, carved his own respected legacy in British boxing. Nicknamed “Special K”, the Sheffield-born fighter rose through the ranks with a polished boxing style and clinical finishing ability before capturing the IBF welterweight world title in 2014 after defeating Shawn Porter in the United States.

The victory established Brook as one of Britain’s elite fighters and elevated him onto the global boxing stage.

Over the course of his career, Brook shared the ring with some of boxing’s biggest stars, including Gennady Golovkin, Errol Spence Jr and Amir Khan. His long-awaited grudge match victory over Khan in 2022 further cemented his popularity among British boxing fans before his retirement from professional boxing.

For aspiring Zimbabwean fighters, the opportunity to interact with athletes of such pedigree is expected to provide invaluable inspiration.

The visits also arrive on the backdrop of growing momentum around the Charles Manyuchi Boxing Academy, which has increasingly positioned itself as one of Zimbabwe’s most ambitious boxing development institutions.

Dubbed “The Pride of Mutare,” last weekend’s tournament in Mutare drew considerable public interest and highlighted the academy’s efforts to revive grassroots boxing while taking the sport beyond the traditional strongholds of Harare and Bulawayo.

Hosted in partnership with the Municipality of Mutare, the event brought together emerging fighters from different parts of the country and the region, and reinforced the city’s growing appetite for combat sports entertainment.

Observers within Zimbabwe’s sporting circles believe the strategy of combining elite boxing engagement with tourism promotion could prove highly beneficial for the country’s international image.

Zimbabwe boasts some of Africa’s most iconic tourist destinations, expansive wildlife conservancies and rich cultural heritage sites. Organisers hope that showcasing these attractions to globally recognised sporting personalities will amplify international interest in the country.

For Manyuchi, whose own rise from humble beginnings in rural Zimbabwe to becoming an international boxing champion inspired many young athletes, the moment represents another important step in his mission to transform local boxing.

Over recent years, the former WBC Silver welterweight champion has increasingly shifted his focus toward mentorship, talent development and boxing administration, seeking to create opportunities for the next generation.

Bringing globally respected champions to Zimbabwe, he believes, sends a powerful message.

“It shows young fighters that anything is possible,” Manyuchi said. “If legends like Lennox Lewis and Kell Brook can come here and support Zimbabwean boxing, then our athletes can also dream bigger.”

As anticipation builds ahead of the visits, Zimbabwe’s boxing community will be hoping the presence of the two former champions sparks lasting momentum for a sport that has long produced talent despite limited resources.

For a nation eager to strengthen its sporting identity on the global stage, the arrival of Lewis and Brook may represent far more than celebrity visits.

It could signal the beginning of a new chapter for Zimbabwean boxing.