Local is lekker as Zolani turns away from US trainer

World boxing champion Zolani Tete has shelved plans to prepare for his World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) under top US trainer Jeff Mayweather opting to utilise local expertise instead.

And now he has lined up Duncan Village star Azinga Fuzile for sparring session which is expected to draw scores of spectators.

Tete had planned to enrol to the Mayweather gymnasium under Mayweather in US to prepare for the WBSS.

This when he thought that he would be pitted against Dominican Republican Juan Carlos Payano in a draw conducted in Moscow last month.

However Tete ended up being matched against Russian Mikhail Aloyan who has extensive amateur background.

Payano, who is Tete’s mandatory challenger, was instead pitted against Japanese star Naoya Inoue leaving the Mdantsane boxer to pick Aloyan.

Aloyan is a left-hander who often switches fighting styles.

Although he has fought just four times in the professional ranks, he has already won regional titles including the WBA international title and WBC silver junior-bantamweight crown.

The 29-year-old has also won several medals at the amateur ranks. year-old has also won several medals at the amateur ranks

This has prompted Tete’s team to rope in a trainer with an amateur background.

Aloyan has never knocked out any of his four opponents while Tete is renowned for his crippling power in both hands having turned out the lights to 21 of his 27 victims with just three losses.

The boxer’s manager Mla Tengimfene confirmed that they are looking to rope in a trainer with amateur pedigree.

“We’re looking for someone with wealth of amateur experience so that we can counter anything Aloyan does in the ring.”

Tete has also lined up boxers who will simulate Aloyan with Fuzile being one of them.

The sparring sessions are scheduled to start on September 1 as Tete intensifies his preparation for the clash scheduled for October 13 in Russia.

While Tengimfene refused to divulge the locality of the training camp as he does not want Tete to be disrupted, he confirmed that the sparring sessions will be conducted at All Winners Boxing Club in NU1 Mdantsane.

“What we want to achieve is explosiveness while not abandoning our technique, In terms of being cautious, Zolani cannot be touched but we want him to be explosive now and I am satisfied with how the training camp is progressing so far,” he said.