EAST London has emerged as the likely venue to host the highly anticipated IBF world junior-bantamweight title clash between Mdantsane Zolani Tete and Teiru Kinoshita of Japan on May 18.
While details are still sketchy the Daily Dispatch can reveal that Sijuta Promotions will be presenting the fight.
Sijuta boss Andile Sidinile yesterday confirmed that negotiations to stage the fight in East London are at an advanced stage.
“Yes we are talking to both camps and everything looks promising at the moment,” said Sidinile.
The IBF gave the two camps until this Sunday to conclude negotiations for the promotional rights of the fight failing which purse bids would be invited.
Now Tete’s camp is pushing for the fight to be held in the city especially after the boxer had to travel to Mexico for his elimination fight which he won by a 10th-round stoppage over favourite Juan Carlos Sanchez last November.
Tete’s promoter Branco Milenkovic said earlier that his company would do its utmost to let Tete fight in front of his home crowd.
Sidinile, who enjoys cordial relationship with Milenkovic, confirmed that he had been given the promotional rights by the Johannesburg promoter to stage the fight.
“I know some people will say I am Branco’s agent but the truth of the matter is that as Sijuta we have working relations with many promoters in the business,” he said.
Asked if he would be able to clinch the deal before Sunday, Sidinile said he had agreed terms with both camps with just some few loose ends to tie up.
“I am confident that we will beat the Sunday deadline because the Japanese camp has no problem coming to East London,” he said.
Kinoshita, a southpaw like Tete, has never fought outside his country.
Unbeaten in 20 bouts with a draw, the 28-year-old Japanese has not fought the same quality of opposition as Tete and his low knockout ratio of only three stoppages makes him less of a threat to the Mdantsane boxer.
Should the deal be finalised it will mark the first time the city hosts an IBF title fight since Nkosinathi Joyi’s successful title defence of his mini-flyweight crown against another Japanese Katsunari Takayama in 2012.
Takayama has since won the title after dethroning Mexican Mario Rodriguez who stopped Joyi in seven rounds to be come the champion in September 2012.
Tete has just returned home after cutting ties with Johannesburg trainer Nick Durandt.
Sidinile said it would a perfect homecoming for the 25-year-old Mdantsane lad if he were to win a major world title in front of his home fans in East London.
“This fight is for East London and we will do our best to ensure that it takes place here,” he said.
So confident is Sidinile that he has almost completed the entire bill with his newly-signed Capetonian Mzuvukile Magwaca scheduled to feature on the undercard against Filipino Michael Enriquez in an IBO International flyweight title clash.
East London’s lone heavyweight boxer Donovan Luff is also set make his professional debut on the card.
Big push for Tete’s IBF title
While details are still sketchy the Daily Dispatch can reveal that Sijuta Promotions will be presenting the fight.
Sijuta boss Andile Sidinile yesterday confirmed that negotiations to stage the fight in East London are at an advanced stage.
“Yes we are talking to both camps and everything looks promising at the moment,” said Sidinile.
The IBF gave the two camps until this Sunday to conclude negotiations for the promotional rights of the fight failing which purse bids would be invited.
Now Tete’s camp is pushing for the fight to be held in the city especially after the boxer had to travel to Mexico for his elimination fight which he won by a 10th-round stoppage over favourite Juan Carlos Sanchez last November.
Tete’s promoter Branco Milenkovic said earlier that his company would do its utmost to let Tete fight in front of his home crowd.
Sidinile, who enjoys cordial relationship with Milenkovic, confirmed that he had been given the promotional rights by the Johannesburg promoter to stage the fight.
“I know some people will say I am Branco’s agent but the truth of the matter is that as Sijuta we have working relations with many promoters in the business,” he said.
Asked if he would be able to clinch the deal before Sunday, Sidinile said he had agreed terms with both camps with just some few loose ends to tie up.
“I am confident that we will beat the Sunday deadline because the Japanese camp has no problem coming to East London,” he said.
Kinoshita, a southpaw like Tete, has never fought outside his country.
Unbeaten in 20 bouts with a draw, the 28-year-old Japanese has not fought the same quality of opposition as Tete and his low knockout ratio of only three stoppages makes him less of a threat to the Mdantsane boxer.
Should the deal be finalised it will mark the first time the city hosts an IBF title fight since Nkosinathi Joyi’s successful title defence of his mini-flyweight crown against another Japanese Katsunari Takayama in 2012.
Takayama has since won the title after dethroning Mexican Mario Rodriguez who stopped Joyi in seven rounds to be come the champion in September 2012.
Tete has just returned home after cutting ties with Johannesburg trainer Nick Durandt.
Sidinile said it would a perfect homecoming for the 25-year-old Mdantsane lad if he were to win a major world title in front of his home fans in East London.
“This fight is for East London and we will do our best to ensure that it takes place here,” he said.
So confident is Sidinile that he has almost completed the entire bill with his newly-signed Capetonian Mzuvukile Magwaca scheduled to feature on the undercard against Filipino Michael Enriquez in an IBO International flyweight title clash.
East London’s lone heavyweight boxer Donovan Luff is also set make his professional debut on the card.
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