Zolani Tete will take one more step towards regaining a world title when he faces Mexican Victor Ruiz at Echo Arena in Liverpool tomorrow.
Tete’s bout will be one of the 10 fights on the programme headlined by the WBO junior-middleweight title defence by Liam Smith against Predrag Radosevic of Montenegro.
Tete’s previous knockout victim Paul Butler who was knocked out in eight rounds in March last year will also be in action, taking on Thai Petchabarngborn Kokietgym in a WBO international junior- bantamweight title clash.
Since suffering his first professional defeat to Tete in an IBF junior-bantamweight title challenge, Butler is now enjoying a good run in the division and is gunning for another shot at the world stage.
Tete who has since relinquished the junior-bantamweight crown, is chasing for another belt in the bantamweight division where he will be fighting for the second time tomorrow.
In his debut in the division he knocked out Mexican Jose Santos Gonzalez to pick up the international diadem of the IBF to set himself on course to a world title shot.
However he will need to be up to his best against the Mexican southpaw whose five-defeat record is rather deceptive.
Ruiz is enjoying a three-fight winning streak that started with an upset win over Japanese Daiki Kameda.
And the fact that he is also left-handed like Tete will make the bout intriguing even though the SA camp is not overly worried about similar fighting styles.
“Zolani has never struggled against another left-hander so Ruiz’s style will suit us just fine,” said Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene.
The 28-year-old Mdantsane hero has made Liverpool his second home with fans always giving him a warm welcome whenever he is in town.
Since arriving in the home of Liverpool FC he has been mobbed by fans who request selfies and autographs underlining his growing popularity.
And as humble as he is, Tete has been enjoying taking his time off to mingle with his supporters.
“You know how Zolani is,” added Tengimfene.
“He will do anything to make people happy and the love he is getting here is out of this world.”
Indeed Tete seems to be getting more royal treatment in England than he did at his own home when he was a world champion.
He had to travel to Japan to beat Teiru Kinoshita to win the world title but the fact that he achieved the feat on former statesman Nelson Mandela’s birthday did not seem to translate into massive support back home.
Tete then travelled to Liverpool for the Butler bout but again the fact that he turned back the challenge of a local boxer who was looking to break a 100-year record of winning a world title in a heavier division and then win another one in a smaller weight class was lost to the South Africans with even Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula failing to attend the fight despite being in England at the time.
All these issues combined to influence Tengimfene to accept the offer for Tete to sign with English promoter Frank Warren whose Queensberry Promotions will present tomorrow’s tournament.
“You know when I look at the way we are treated here I become emotional,” said Tengimfene.
“One thing for sure is that I do not regret the decision to accept Frank’s offer and we are so happy with how things are with Zolani’s career at the moment.”
Tete whose two losses of the three in 26 bouts are disputes wants to get a title shot before the end of the year.
It’s rise of the mighty Tete
Tete’s bout will be one of the 10 fights on the programme headlined by the WBO junior-middleweight title defence by Liam Smith against Predrag Radosevic of Montenegro.
Tete’s previous knockout victim Paul Butler who was knocked out in eight rounds in March last year will also be in action, taking on Thai Petchabarngborn Kokietgym in a WBO international junior- bantamweight title clash.
Since suffering his first professional defeat to Tete in an IBF junior-bantamweight title challenge, Butler is now enjoying a good run in the division and is gunning for another shot at the world stage.
Tete who has since relinquished the junior-bantamweight crown, is chasing for another belt in the bantamweight division where he will be fighting for the second time tomorrow.
In his debut in the division he knocked out Mexican Jose Santos Gonzalez to pick up the international diadem of the IBF to set himself on course to a world title shot.
However he will need to be up to his best against the Mexican southpaw whose five-defeat record is rather deceptive.
Ruiz is enjoying a three-fight winning streak that started with an upset win over Japanese Daiki Kameda.
And the fact that he is also left-handed like Tete will make the bout intriguing even though the SA camp is not overly worried about similar fighting styles.
“Zolani has never struggled against another left-hander so Ruiz’s style will suit us just fine,” said Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene.
The 28-year-old Mdantsane hero has made Liverpool his second home with fans always giving him a warm welcome whenever he is in town.
Since arriving in the home of Liverpool FC he has been mobbed by fans who request selfies and autographs underlining his growing popularity.
And as humble as he is, Tete has been enjoying taking his time off to mingle with his supporters.
“You know how Zolani is,” added Tengimfene.
“He will do anything to make people happy and the love he is getting here is out of this world.”
Indeed Tete seems to be getting more royal treatment in England than he did at his own home when he was a world champion.
He had to travel to Japan to beat Teiru Kinoshita to win the world title but the fact that he achieved the feat on former statesman Nelson Mandela’s birthday did not seem to translate into massive support back home.
Tete then travelled to Liverpool for the Butler bout but again the fact that he turned back the challenge of a local boxer who was looking to break a 100-year record of winning a world title in a heavier division and then win another one in a smaller weight class was lost to the South Africans with even Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula failing to attend the fight despite being in England at the time.
All these issues combined to influence Tengimfene to accept the offer for Tete to sign with English promoter Frank Warren whose Queensberry Promotions will present tomorrow’s tournament.
“You know when I look at the way we are treated here I become emotional,” said Tengimfene.
“One thing for sure is that I do not regret the decision to accept Frank’s offer and we are so happy with how things are with Zolani’s career at the moment.”
Tete whose two losses of the three in 26 bouts are disputes wants to get a title shot before the end of the year.
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