Tete locked and loaded for his showdown with "The King"

Zolani “Last Born” Tete prefers to let his fists do the talking‚ which explained why he kept his sentences short and simple a couple of days ago.

Filipino slugger Arthur "The King" Villanueva stands between Tete and a shot at the WBO lightweight title and the Mdantsane-born boxer made his intentions clear ahead their showdown at Leicester Arena in England on Saturday.

“I'm looking forward to the fight. I'm ready‚ I want to win and I'm going to win‚" Tete said.

"I'm going to come back home victorious. I expected the delays in the fight because I've been around for quite some time and I know these things.

"As a professional boxer I have to keep going and that's what I've been doing.

"I've carried on with my preparations because there was a date.”

The former undefeated IBF junior bantamweight holder is already looking beyond Saturday's date with Villanueva.

Tete has his eyes fixed firmly on the outcome of the WBO bantamweight championship fight between defending champion Marlon "Marauding Nightmare" Tapales and Japanese Shohei Omoni in Osaka on April 23.

It was announced last month that the winner between Tete and Villanueva will face the victor of the scrap between Tapales and Shohei.

Saturday's fight against Villanueva was originally set to take place on April 8 at the same venue in England but was postponed to April 22.

The reasons for the postponement were not given.

Tete has been in Johannesburg for eight weeks‚ taking advantage of the benefits that come with training at altitude.

He departed for the United Kingdom at the weekend in what will be his fourth fight in the UK in two years.

Boxing South Africa chief executive Tsholo Lejaka was in attendance at the Urban Warrior Gym in Parkmore where Tete was wrapping up the last of his preparations a couple of days ago.

“I'm quite surprised that I'm training today and there are so many people around me‚ watching me and wanting to see what I do when I'm at training‚" Tete said.

"It motivates me and I'm looking forward to the fight. Whatever I've been doing in this gym‚ I'll do to Villanueva's head.

"This fight is a step closer to the world title for me because I've always been about world titles and not just one.

"I've been the IBF champion and I want to be the WBO champion and that will be accomplished in the next two months.”

From a ring perspective‚ South Africa have not had a lot to celebrate but Tete's constant bouts have given the art some hope.

While he's had a decent record‚ he longs to entertain South African fans but realised that this is something that's beyond his control. All he wants to do is to make the country proud.

“I want to fight for the WBA‚ WBC and IBF title because I believe I'm good enough to get all of them. I can't take this fight lightly because if I lose‚ then it's pretty much it for me.

"There won't be other chances. When I come back‚ I'll be coming back as Zolani Tete the

South African champion‚ not the East London or the Mdantsane champion‚” Tete said.

“I've got a lot of support in the UK and I want to entertain them this time around but I want to come and fight at home.

"It's been a long time since I've fought here. I want to come home and entertain my people and fight in South Africa but I'm sure that'll happen when I clinch the world title.

"I want the world title‚ I'll bring it home and defend it here.”