Battle stations for Tete

DESPITE leaving for Mexico with a ‘thin’ technical team Zolani Tete is confident of returning home triumphant when he takes on Mexican Juan Carlos Sanchez at Auditorio del Estado, Mexicali, Baja California.

The pair will battle for the right to challenge IBF junior-bantamweight champion and Japanese Daiki Kameda in a Zanfer Promotion show.

Tete left Johannesburg for Mexico City with head trainer Mhikiza Myekeni and manager Mlandeli Thengimfene.

Although the quality of Tete’s technical team has raised concerns over its experience in such a crucial bout, Thengimfene sounded confident yesterday that the left-handed boxer was ready for the battle.

Tete had experienced trainer Nick Durandt in the corner for crucial bouts although the trainer was absent in Argentina when the Mdantsane southpaw lost a controversial decision to Roberto Sosa.

For that reason Thengimfene does not think the absence of the world-acclaimed trainer will have an effect on Tete.

“Zolani is brimming with confidence and cannot wait to get into the ring,” said Thengimfene.

The trio will depart for Mexicali today for the weigh-in before the bout tomorrow.

Tete will be engaging in an elimination clash for the third time having won the flyweight version when he beat Filipino Richard Garcia to earn a challenge at Moruti Mthalane’s crown in 2010.

Mthalane stopped Tete in the fifth round prompting the NU12 Mdantsane lad to move up to the junior-bantamweight division where he dropped two eliminators bouts in controversial fashion.

First he travelled to Mexico to lose a razor-thin verdict to Alberto Rosas before he trekked to Argentina where he also dropped a highly debatable nod to Sosa.

Tete was at his menacing self in his last bout when he scored a chilling first round knockout of Filipino Eduardo Penerio at Carnival City in Brakpan this past March.

At only 24 years old, the knockout specialist who has knocked out 15 of his 17 victims with only three defeats is mature enough to know what to expect in Mexico.

This is more so as Sanchez is not known as the typical Mexican brawler with the 22-year-old having scored just nine knockouts in 17 wins with one loss and a draw.

Sanchez is the former holder of the IBF crown but forfeited it on the scales when he could not make the weight for his title defence against Sosa who had beaten Tete to earn the shot.

Before then the left-hander nicknamed “Zordito” had posted three title defences including the defeat of Rosas.

Thengimfene said Tete has been concentrating on sharpening his body attack to wear down the fleet-footed Mexican.

Indeed Tete does not fight well against opponents with a pressuring style as he proved against Mthalane when he wilted under pressure.

He cannot be outsmarted when the battle is waged outside.