Fight deal with Warren lands Tete the perfect Christmas gift

SHORTLY after picking up the vacant WBO Africa junior bantamweight crown with a landslide win over outgunned Filipino Jether Oliva, Mdantsane boxing star Zolani Tete has signed a multi-fight deal with top British promoter Frank Warren.

The pact had been on the cards for a while, after Tete and his manager Mla Tengimfene flew to England to explore the possibility of the boxer fighting abroad.

This followed Tete’s decision to abdicate the IBF throne, rather than risk it against mandatory challenger McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico.

Tete’s abdication came shortly before his contract with Johannesburg promoter Branco Milenkovic expired.

Tete then became a free agent and decided to form his own promotional company, Last Born Promotions, which jointly staged his fight against Oliva with Xaba Promotions and Events.

However, the 27-year-old southpaw believed he still needed a world-acclaimed promoter to keep him at the heart of big-money fights.

“This is why we decided to go for Frank, because his credentials as a promoter are unrivalled,” Tengimfene said.

The news of Tete’s deal with Warren is hogging headlines in the British media. Tete endeared himself to English fans when he inflicted the first professional loss on former IBF bantamweight champion Paul Butler via an eight-round stoppage in March.

Tete entered the fight as an underdog as Butler had never lost a fight before, having relinquished his IBF bantamweight title to pursue a second world title in the lower division. Tete dominated throughout before putting him to sleep with a monster uppercut.

“I am glad I will return to England because I had a warm reception there when I fought Butler,” Tete said.

Tete could have featured in Warren’s tournament promoted under his Queensberry Promotions banner this past weekend, where the British promoter acquired yet another world title when his charge Billy Joe Saunders dethroned Andy Lee for the WBO middleweight crown in Manchester.

But “Last Born” decided to have one more fight back home, which proved to be a successful one, as he turned Oliva into a human punch bag.

Tengimfene declined to reveal the financial terms but said they were happy with everything Warren had offered.

Tete is scheduled to make his debut under his new deal on February 15, also in Manchester, where Warren will present another tournament.

Tengimfene insisted that Last Born Promotions will not cease to exist despite the developments. He said Warren would also act as mentor.

“For instance, there are fights that we will fight here at home and those fights will be promoted by Last Born Promotions,” he said, adding that Tete would only travel to England when he had a fight scheduled.

Tete is expected to engage in a world title fight before the end of next year.