Filipino bout will be Tete’s ticket to a world title shot

MDANTSANE world boxing title hopeful Zolani Tete will go to camp this coming weekend to begin preparations for his crucial WBO world bantamweight title elimination clash against Filipino Arthur Villanueva.

Tete will be camping in Johannesburg with head trainer Loyiso Mtya and his assistant Phumzile Matyhila using the premises of former soccer boss Andile “Ace” Ncobo as per the norm.

The left-hander has been working out lightly in training while awaiting the confirmation of the date from his English promoter Frank Warren.

Last week Warren confirmed the date as April 8 at Manchester Arena, Manchester in England where the fight will form part of the extravaganza also featuring WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan against Petr Petrov.

“Phew, finally the fight has a date and I cannot say how excited I am to finally get this bout,” said Tete.

The 28-year-old Mdantsane was on vacation in Cape Town when Warren’s Queensberry Promotions released a statement to announce the fight.

“Although we knew that this fight was coming but when we were officially informed about the date I instinctively held back on indulging on anything in the vacation,” said Tete.

His manager Mla Tengimfene said, Tete suddenly went for a run and later wanted to go to the gym while he was still on vacation.

“Zolani takes his fights seriously,” said Tengimfene.

“When we were informed of this date, Zolani suddenly said we should cut the vacation short and head back home to begin preparations. This is how seriously he takes this fight.”

Tete, a former IBF world juniorbantamweight champion, knows that a win over the Filipino will take him towards a world title shot.

Ironically, the WBO crown is held by another Filipino Marlon Tapales.

Beating the two Filipinos will hand Tete his second world title in two divisions to join the selected class of few boxers who achieved the feat in the province.

His boxing style has sent other champions in the division scurrying for cover but once he wins the world title they will have nowhere to hide.

The fight will come just months after his brother Makazole suffered a knockout defeat at the hands of another Filipino boxer Jonas Sultan this past December.

“I am gunning for everything in this fight and that includes avenging the defeat of my brother to a Filipino,” said Tete.

Tete has faced five Filipino boxers beating all of them in convincing manner but Villanueva will be the toughest of them all.

Tete and Villanueva have some sort of connection as the Filipino suffered his lone loss in 32 bouts against McJoe Arroyo when they battled for the IBF title, he vacated in distress.

This when the Mdantsane boxer objected to the paltry purse he was offered to defend against Arroyo.

Tete has three losses – two of them highly contentious – in 27 bouts.