After a scare that threatened to rob him of his voluntary IBF junior bantamweight title defence last October, Mdantsane boxer Zolani Tete will still face Englishman Paul Butler in a rescheduled clash in Liverpool on March 6.
The fight was scheduled to take place on October 25 but Tete suffered a hand injury two weeks before the showdown.
The injury threatened to rob him of the voluntary defence, otherwise known as a title-cashing mechanism, as the IBF insisted that his next fight should be a mandatory one against unbeaten Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo – who had earned the mandatory status with an 11th-round knockout of former world flyweight champion Hernan “Tyson” Marquez in June.
However, Tete’s promoter Branco Milenkovic managed to convince the IBF board to give his charge an extension.
“The board unanimously voted for Tete to go ahead with his voluntary defence against Butler,” Milenkovic said.
The winner of the fight between Tete and Butler will have to face Arroyo within a specified period.
Since the date of the fight was announced by English promoter Frank Warren, Butler has been shooting from the hip but falling short of dismissing Tete as easy pickings.
The English fighter will be attempting to break a 104-year boxing record by becoming only the second boxer to win a world title in a heavier division and then drop to a lower division and win another world crown.
He has already won the IBF bantamweight title, when he beat compatriot Stuart Hall last June.
Ironically before dethroning Hall in a rather debatable decision, Hall had assisted SA boxer Vusi Malinga with sparring sessions when Malinga was to battle against Hall for the vacant crown.
Speaking in England, Butler said he was unfazed by Tete and sees nothing special about the Mdantsane boxer.
“ I see that Tete has knocked out 16 of his 19 victims but that does not worry me at all,” he was quoted as saying.
“I can guarantee that Tete will not hurt me at all and nothing will stand in my way to make history.”
The 26-year-old has yet to taste defeat after 17 fights and the low number of bouts he fought in before winning a world crown is a British record.
But Milenkovic says Butler is not on Tete’s level despite winning a world title in a heavier division. “To be honest with you I do not think Butler will give Tete any trouble. I know he is undefeated and has won the IBF title in a heavier division but let us face it; his win over Hall was controversial and he has done nothing to prove himself since.”
Tete is a seasoned boxer despite also being 26 years of age, having fought in enemy territory and only losing home decisions twice.
However, he learnt from those setbacks as he first went to Mexico to knockout Juan Carlos Sanchez in 10 rounds in an IBF title eliminator, then dusted off his passport and travelled to Japan to inflict the first loss on Teiru Kinoshita to win the IBF title last July.
Tete, who has already started preparing for the fight, is expected to leave for Liverpool 10 days before the showdown.
Tete gears up to face confident Butler in UK
The fight was scheduled to take place on October 25 but Tete suffered a hand injury two weeks before the showdown.
The injury threatened to rob him of the voluntary defence, otherwise known as a title-cashing mechanism, as the IBF insisted that his next fight should be a mandatory one against unbeaten Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo – who had earned the mandatory status with an 11th-round knockout of former world flyweight champion Hernan “Tyson” Marquez in June.
However, Tete’s promoter Branco Milenkovic managed to convince the IBF board to give his charge an extension.
“The board unanimously voted for Tete to go ahead with his voluntary defence against Butler,” Milenkovic said.
The winner of the fight between Tete and Butler will have to face Arroyo within a specified period.
Since the date of the fight was announced by English promoter Frank Warren, Butler has been shooting from the hip but falling short of dismissing Tete as easy pickings.
The English fighter will be attempting to break a 104-year boxing record by becoming only the second boxer to win a world title in a heavier division and then drop to a lower division and win another world crown.
He has already won the IBF bantamweight title, when he beat compatriot Stuart Hall last June.
Ironically before dethroning Hall in a rather debatable decision, Hall had assisted SA boxer Vusi Malinga with sparring sessions when Malinga was to battle against Hall for the vacant crown.
Speaking in England, Butler said he was unfazed by Tete and sees nothing special about the Mdantsane boxer.
“ I see that Tete has knocked out 16 of his 19 victims but that does not worry me at all,” he was quoted as saying.
“I can guarantee that Tete will not hurt me at all and nothing will stand in my way to make history.”
The 26-year-old has yet to taste defeat after 17 fights and the low number of bouts he fought in before winning a world crown is a British record.
But Milenkovic says Butler is not on Tete’s level despite winning a world title in a heavier division. “To be honest with you I do not think Butler will give Tete any trouble. I know he is undefeated and has won the IBF title in a heavier division but let us face it; his win over Hall was controversial and he has done nothing to prove himself since.”
Tete is a seasoned boxer despite also being 26 years of age, having fought in enemy territory and only losing home decisions twice.
However, he learnt from those setbacks as he first went to Mexico to knockout Juan Carlos Sanchez in 10 rounds in an IBF title eliminator, then dusted off his passport and travelled to Japan to inflict the first loss on Teiru Kinoshita to win the IBF title last July.
Tete, who has already started preparing for the fight, is expected to leave for Liverpool 10 days before the showdown.
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