Zolani Tete would have loved his next fight to be for a world title but the Mdantsane boxer will have to make do with defending his IBF regional title for now.
After the withdrawal of Kazakhstani Zhanat Zhakiyanov, who claimed that he was never approached for the fight in which he was to defend his WBA interim bantamweight crown, Tete will now have to settle for yet another Mexican foe in his appearance at Echo Arena in Liverpool next month.
He will now take on Victor Ruiz, who is best known for upsetting Japanese Daiki Kameda in September last year.
Kameda is one of the three famous Kameda brothers who made into the Guinness Book of Records for becoming the three siblings – together with Tomoki and Koki – to simultaneously hold world titles.
Interestingly Kameda was once mooted to face Tete when he was the IBF junior-bantamweight champion.
However he abdicated the throne when he lost a bout while being a champion rendering the title vacant for Tete to battle it out against another Japanese Teiru Kinoshita with the Mdantsane hero coming up on tops.
Tete has since vacated the title after what he claimed were unfavourable conditions for his mandatory defence against Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo who has since ascended the throne.
Now he is bidding to win a second world title in the heavier bantamweight division where he was hoping to challenge Zhakiyanov.
“We will have to be patient and work our way to a world title contention because no champions wants to defend against us,” the boxer’s manager Mla Tengimfene said.
The 25-year-old Ruiz is a southpaw like Tete and he will come to the fight enjoying a three-fight winning streak which kicked off with a stoppage win over nondescript Felix Rubio after his knockout loss to Arroyo’s twin brother McWilliams. Ruiz will be the fourth Mexican boxer Tete will be fighting with the 28-year-old having suffered one of his three losses to Alberto Rosas way back when he was still a greenhorn.
Since that disputed loss, Tete has beaten all the Mexicans with Jose Santos Gonzalez being his last victim when he was stopped in seven rounds at the same venue of the June 4 to pick up the IBF international title.
With the WBA route now seemingly closing in due to Zhakiyanov’s unavailability, Tete is now targeting the IBF crown in the bantamweight which another Briton Lee Haskins recently defended when he saw off the challenge of Ivan Morales – brother of legendary Mexican Erik – a fortnight ago.
But Tengimfene insisted that his charge would go for any world title shot that presents itself.
“We hear that Jamie McDonnell (WBA bantamweight champion) is moving up a division so perhaps there could be a chance there as well,” he said.
“What is important now is to keep winning and that is what we intend to do.”
Tete-Ruiz clash will form part of the WBO light-middleweight title defence by Liverpudlian Liam Smith against Predrag Radosevic of Montenegro.
Plans plans to use Mexican Ruiz as stepping stone for world title shot
After the withdrawal of Kazakhstani Zhanat Zhakiyanov, who claimed that he was never approached for the fight in which he was to defend his WBA interim bantamweight crown, Tete will now have to settle for yet another Mexican foe in his appearance at Echo Arena in Liverpool next month.
He will now take on Victor Ruiz, who is best known for upsetting Japanese Daiki Kameda in September last year.
Kameda is one of the three famous Kameda brothers who made into the Guinness Book of Records for becoming the three siblings – together with Tomoki and Koki – to simultaneously hold world titles.
Interestingly Kameda was once mooted to face Tete when he was the IBF junior-bantamweight champion.
However he abdicated the throne when he lost a bout while being a champion rendering the title vacant for Tete to battle it out against another Japanese Teiru Kinoshita with the Mdantsane hero coming up on tops.
Tete has since vacated the title after what he claimed were unfavourable conditions for his mandatory defence against Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo who has since ascended the throne.
Now he is bidding to win a second world title in the heavier bantamweight division where he was hoping to challenge Zhakiyanov.
“We will have to be patient and work our way to a world title contention because no champions wants to defend against us,” the boxer’s manager Mla Tengimfene said.
The 25-year-old Ruiz is a southpaw like Tete and he will come to the fight enjoying a three-fight winning streak which kicked off with a stoppage win over nondescript Felix Rubio after his knockout loss to Arroyo’s twin brother McWilliams. Ruiz will be the fourth Mexican boxer Tete will be fighting with the 28-year-old having suffered one of his three losses to Alberto Rosas way back when he was still a greenhorn.
Since that disputed loss, Tete has beaten all the Mexicans with Jose Santos Gonzalez being his last victim when he was stopped in seven rounds at the same venue of the June 4 to pick up the IBF international title.
With the WBA route now seemingly closing in due to Zhakiyanov’s unavailability, Tete is now targeting the IBF crown in the bantamweight which another Briton Lee Haskins recently defended when he saw off the challenge of Ivan Morales – brother of legendary Mexican Erik – a fortnight ago.
But Tengimfene insisted that his charge would go for any world title shot that presents itself.
“We hear that Jamie McDonnell (WBA bantamweight champion) is moving up a division so perhaps there could be a chance there as well,” he said.
“What is important now is to keep winning and that is what we intend to do.”
Tete-Ruiz clash will form part of the WBO light-middleweight title defence by Liverpudlian Liam Smith against Predrag Radosevic of Montenegro.
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