Tete vows to floor Filipino
Villanueva stands in the way of WBO title shot
Tough-as-teak Arthur Villanueva will kiss the canvas for the first time in his fruitful career, warns Zolani “Last Born” Tete, who will oppose the granite jawed Filipino in a WBO bantamweight elimination bout at the Leicester Arena, England on April 22.
Villanueva is rated No 1, a spot above Tete. The winner will face current WBO bantamweight holder Marlon Tapales, also from the Philippines, within 90 days of the April 22 fight.
Villanueva’s only defeat, against 30 victories, was a technical decision. He has 16 stoppages.
Tete, the enormously talented former IBF junior bantamweight holder from Mdantsane, has flattened 20 of his 24 victims against three losses.
He said: “Villanueva will need to do himself a great favour by going down because he is going to get seriously hurt.
“I have had eight weeks of painful preparations in my camp in Johannesburg. I had quality sparring from a number of great guys including Moruti Mthalane, Xolisani Ndongeni, Tshifhiwa Munyai. Defeat is not an option.”
Tete’s awesome skills are polished by Loyiso Mtya and Zolile Tete. The boxer’s savage right uppercut, which poleaxed English star Paul Butler in the eighth round in the UK in 2015, earned him a contract with that country’s top promoter Frank Warren.
It also saw Tete win BSA’s 2016 Knockout of the Year award.
Tete is unbeaten in the last five years and will be fighting for the fourth time in England. The team leaves on Saturday.