Puncher from the Past: Langton Tinago

Name: Langton (Schoolboy) Tinago

Born: 28 September 1949 Gweru, Zimbabwe

Died: 17 July 2018 Gweru

Career: 1967 to 1987

Record: 110 fights 86 wins (16 by KO/TKO), 20 losses (4 by KO/TKO), 3 draws, 1 No Decision

Division: Featherweight, Super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight

Stance: Orthodox

Titles: Zimbabwean Lightweight and Welterweight, Commonwealth Boxing Council Super Featherweight and Lightweight

Major Contests

Scored wins over: Harold Volbrecht *, Thomas Sithebe* . Willie Booth, Hogan Jimoh (twice), Ken Buchanan**, Chris Sanigar, Ian McLeod, Graeme Brooke,

Lost to: Norman Sekgapane*, Harold Volbrecht*, David Kambule, Barry Michael **, Davidson Andeh, Graeme Brooke, John Sichula, Mo Hussein

Drew with: Nkosana Mgxaji*,

**Past/ future holder of a version of a world title

* Unsuccessful challenger for a version of a world title

Langton Tinago’s story

Tinago’s career was heavily affected by politics and economic conditions. As background Zimbabwe during its time as a British colony was known as Southern Rhodesia and governed by a white minority. As decolonisation progressed North Rhodesia became Zambia with a black government. The white government dropped the “South” and became Rhodesia. The white government in Rhodesia resisted a change to black rule and broke away from the British Commonwealth and in 1965 made a Unilateral Declaration of Independence, the first instance of such action by a British colony since the American Declaration of Independence. The result was heavy sanctions against Rhodesia and a civil war. When the war ended there was then a war between the two major black factions as to who would run the country. After the end of the civil war the country was renamed Zimbabwe but policies followed by the African leadership led to sanctions against Zimbabwe including the USA freezing credit to Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth of Nations suspended Zimbabwe’s membership due to a “reckless” policy of farm seizures and allegations of blatant election tampering. These actions lead to severe economic problems and devaluation of the Zimbabwean currency. The result of this for Tinago was that the whole of his career was carried out under a backdrop of civil and economic upheaval.

He claimed to have won all 65 of his amateur fights but there are no records available for amateur boxing in Rhodesia or Zimbabwe for the period in which Tinago fought and since he turned professional at 17 he would had few if any amateur fights.  He lost his first pro fight in July 1967 against Jack Schoolboy and would fight Schoolboy five times beating Schoolboy in April 1974 to win the Zimbabwean lightweight title.

It took a while for Tinago to dominate the domestic opposition but between June 1973 and April 1976 he was unbeaten in 22 contests including winning and defending the Zimbabwean lightweight title.

He did not fight outside Zimbabwe until losing to South African non-white welterweight champion Morris Mohloai in April 1976. He won the Zimbabwean welterweight title in December 1976. In 1977 Tinago had a poor year scoring only two wins and suffering four losses including being beaten by future WBA title challengers Harold Volbrecht and Norman Sekgapane. It was a different story in 1978 as he went 10-0-1 outpointing Volbrecht and drawing with South African Nkosana Mgxaji whose record when they fought was 68-1-1.

The strain of twelve years campaigning and over 70 fights  seemed to catch up with Tinago in 1979 but in 1980 he beat Hogan Jimoh in Nigeria to win the Commonwealth lightweight title becoming the first Zimbabwean boxer to win a Commonwealth belt. He only had two weeks’ notice for the Jimoh fight. His manager Dave Wellings recounted to me that a power failure in Nigeria threatened the bout, which was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. Because of that they booked a midnight flight. Then came the bombshell that the flight would start at 10 pm, just two hours before take-off. Tinago stopped Jimoh after seven rounds, rushed off to the airport, still in his flight strip with hands bandaged and blood streaming from a cut to catch the plane.

1981 was a year of mixed fortunes, he again beat Jimoh in a Commonwealth title defence and outpointed a fading former WBA lightweight champion Ken Buchanan. The down side in 1981 was losing the Commonwealth title to Australian Barry Michael. In 1982 he outpointed Britain’s Chris Sanigar but was defeated by unbeaten Nigerian Davidson Andeh and 1983 saw him move down in weight to win the vacant Commonwealth super featherweight title with a victory over. Nigerian Safiu Okebadan but in the same year lose on points against Graeme Brooke in Australia.

A fifth round kayo by unbeaten Zambian John Sichula  in February 1984 cost him his Commonwealth title but he retained the Zimbabwean welterweight title by outpointing Richard Rova.

In 1985 he outpointed Scot Ian McLeod in Glasgow but in a challenge for the Commonwealth super lightweight title lost on an eleventh round kayo against Billy Famous in Nigeria. He weas still too good for local opposition in 1986 but suffered points defeats in Malawi and Zambia but rebounded by gaining revenge stopping Graeme Brook in five rounds to win the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title.

At 41 and with 106 fights behind him Tinago  was at the end of the road and a twelfth round kayo loss against hard-punching Mo Hussain in March 1987 saw him kiss the Commonwealth title goodbye and after retaining the Zimbabwean title with a points win over Emmanuel Nyika in August 1987 he retired.

In a twenty year career Tinago fought over four weight divisions from featherweight to super lightweight.

Although never fighting for a world title he was Commonwealth champion three times, twice at lightweight and once at super featherweight, and also challenged for the super lightweight title. He was Zimbabwean champion at lightweight and welterweight being 11-0 in national title fights having his first national title fight in 1974 and his last in 1987. Not surprisingly the Zimbabwe Boxing Board of Control named him the best Zimbabwean Boxer of the Century and he was voted Sportsperson of the Year three times.

After retiring He ran a boxing academy and amongst those he worked with was his son Brilliant Tinago and the future Commonwealth flyweight champion Alfonso Zvenyika but lack of sponsorship and opportunities in Zimbabwe forced closure.

Despite the fame there was not a great deal fortune. He earned well in his overseas fights but due to his generosity and the constant devaluation of the Zimbabwean currency he fell on hard times. In an interview he said “I feel neglected, wondering where all those people who used to fill up Rufaro Stadium just to watch me fight are when I am struggling like this. The only income I get is my pension from the Gweru City Council and a ‘barbershop’ I rent out,”

Barely three months after pouring out his heart on being neglected Langton Tinago died in the early hours of 17 July 2018 at the age of 68 being survived by his wife and seven children.