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Mthalane dares Tete to the ring

NICK Durandt's prayers were answered last weekend when Zolani "Last Born" Tete defeated Richard Garcia at Nasrec Arena.

Their 12 rounder was an official IBF flyweight title eliminator.

Tete's victory makes him the number one contender to the belt which is held by Moruti "Baby Face" Mthalane.

And Durandt is delighted the time has come for the local fight public to see for itself who the real bull is between Mthalane and Tete.

Durandt trains the KwaZulu-Natal born Mthalane while Vuyani and Dudu Bungu hone Tete's skills.

Last week Durandt declared his support for Tete to win against the Filipino so he could "shut Tete and his camp's big mouth."

"Tete is now the number one contender, bring it on. I had intended taking a voluntary defence for Moruti but, you know what, I want Tete in May. This will be an easy defence for Mthalalane. I am giving him six rounds only," Durandt told Sowetan immediately after Tete's lop-sided points win over Garcia in the main bout of a Branco Sports Production (BSP) six-card bill on last Friday night.

Durandt was at Nasrec Arena with his other charge, Ilunga Makabu, the 21-year-old promising fighter from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who pulverised Zimbabwean Chononurwa Gonorendy into submission in two rounds of their scheduled six-round junior heavyweight bout.

Mthalane, the KwaZulu Natal born IBF champion who is based in Gauteng, was among the many fans at the Arena.

The soft spoken Mthalane, 28, commended Tete's victory. "He is a good boxer," he said.

Indeed Tete showed that he is not only a knock out artist with only 11 from 12 fights but a capable boxer too.

But his camp's advice to box Garcia's ears off for 12 rounds could back fire because it afforded Mthalane ample time to assess him.

"I know his strength but I got to see his weaknesses and I will expose him," said Mthalane who won the IBF belt on November 20 after his demolition act of Julio Miranda on points at Wembley.

Interestingly Tete won the WBO Pan African title in the main supporting bout after blasting Anthony Mathias in one round.

Tete and Mthalane fight underBranco Milenkovic's BSP who promised to deliver a good fight.

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