Despite having only one bout for top English promoter Frank Warren, Mdantsane boxing star Zolani Tete is already being lined up to fight for a world title.
While details are still sketchy, as Warren’s promotion company Queensberry Promotions (QP) is focusing on its upcoming shows on April 30 and May 15, the Tete camp has revealed that a deal to face Kazakhastani Zhanat Zhakiyanov by the end of June for the WBA interim bantamweight title is all but done.
However, a contract is yet to be signed although all the indications point to the fight being a go on a date and venue yet to be confirmed in England.
Tete is fresh is from making his debut under QP where he scored a seventh-round stoppage over durable Mexican Jose Gonzalez last month.
He was scheduled to feature in the April 30 event topped by the WBO super-middleweight title defence of Billy Joe Saunders against Mark Bursak.
But his management team decided to pass on the fight so as to give the southpaw more time to recover.
This could prove to be a master- stroke as the 28-year-old will be well-rested when he takes on Zhakiyanov.
Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene confirmed that an offer to face the Kazakhstani was on the table.
“We accepted it immediately because at this stage of our career there is no one we can avoid,” he said.
Zhakiyanov was last seen in action at a Rodney Berman-promoted show last November in Monte Carlo – where he escaped with a split decision win over Yonfrez Parejo to wrest the title.
There were possibilities of Tete either challenging British world champions Lee Haskins, who holds the IBF title, or Jamie McDonnell who is in possession of the WBA crown.
But both champions have reportedly turned down the fight in favour of easier defences. Haskins is scheduled to make a voluntary defence against Ivan Morales of Mexico in Wales next month while McDonnell has opted for Juan Alberto Rosas as a challenger in London this Saturday.
Tete became the IBF international bantamweight champion when he beat Jose Santos Gonzalez recently but while his victory is yet to reflect on its ratings is unlikely that he will be listed as a mandatory challenger without participating in an elimination fight as is the norm with the IBF.
But the IBF sent him a congratulatory note after the win to seemingly put an end to a rift which had developed when Tete dumped its junior-bantamweight title due to unfavourable conditions for his mandatory title defence against Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo.
The WBO route, where Tete is ranked third, may also take longer as the champion Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand is due for a mandatory defence after which he will be in a voluntary window period and will therefore unlikely to choose Tete as a hand-picked challenger.
Beating Zhakiyanov, Tete will force McDonnell to defend against him.
Tete gets a world title bout
While details are still sketchy, as Warren’s promotion company Queensberry Promotions (QP) is focusing on its upcoming shows on April 30 and May 15, the Tete camp has revealed that a deal to face Kazakhastani Zhanat Zhakiyanov by the end of June for the WBA interim bantamweight title is all but done.
However, a contract is yet to be signed although all the indications point to the fight being a go on a date and venue yet to be confirmed in England.
Tete is fresh is from making his debut under QP where he scored a seventh-round stoppage over durable Mexican Jose Gonzalez last month.
He was scheduled to feature in the April 30 event topped by the WBO super-middleweight title defence of Billy Joe Saunders against Mark Bursak.
But his management team decided to pass on the fight so as to give the southpaw more time to recover.
This could prove to be a master- stroke as the 28-year-old will be well-rested when he takes on Zhakiyanov.
Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene confirmed that an offer to face the Kazakhstani was on the table.
“We accepted it immediately because at this stage of our career there is no one we can avoid,” he said.
Zhakiyanov was last seen in action at a Rodney Berman-promoted show last November in Monte Carlo – where he escaped with a split decision win over Yonfrez Parejo to wrest the title.
There were possibilities of Tete either challenging British world champions Lee Haskins, who holds the IBF title, or Jamie McDonnell who is in possession of the WBA crown.
But both champions have reportedly turned down the fight in favour of easier defences. Haskins is scheduled to make a voluntary defence against Ivan Morales of Mexico in Wales next month while McDonnell has opted for Juan Alberto Rosas as a challenger in London this Saturday.
Tete became the IBF international bantamweight champion when he beat Jose Santos Gonzalez recently but while his victory is yet to reflect on its ratings is unlikely that he will be listed as a mandatory challenger without participating in an elimination fight as is the norm with the IBF.
But the IBF sent him a congratulatory note after the win to seemingly put an end to a rift which had developed when Tete dumped its junior-bantamweight title due to unfavourable conditions for his mandatory title defence against Puerto Rican McJoe Arroyo.
The WBO route, where Tete is ranked third, may also take longer as the champion Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand is due for a mandatory defence after which he will be in a voluntary window period and will therefore unlikely to choose Tete as a hand-picked challenger.
Beating Zhakiyanov, Tete will force McDonnell to defend against him.
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