IBF junior bantamweight champion Zolani Tete is hoping to give himself an early birthday present when he steps into a UK boxing ring to make a maiden title defence against Paul Butler at Liverpool's Echo Arena tonight.
IBF junior bantamweight champion Zolani Tete is hoping to give himself an early birthday present when he steps into a UK boxing ring to make a maiden title defence against Paul Butler at Liverpool's Echo Arena tonight.
The Eastern Cape-born fighter turns 27 on Sunday. He said yesterday he could not think of a better way to mark the special day than to stop Butler in his tracks.
"This will be my birthday present to myself," he said.
"Paul had better forget about his dream of winning his second world title, not at my expense. I have set my own goals."
Tete will have a lot at stake against Butler as his prized IBF title remains one of the few credible belts in a sport saturated with an alphabet soup of less creditable championships. Tete, his trainers Lehlohonolo Ledwaba and Zolile Tete, and manager Mlandeli Thengimfene have been acclimatising in the UK for the past 12 days.
"We had enough time to adapt to the chilly conditions over here. There is nothing to worry about," said Thengimfene from Liverpool yesterday.
"That Tete is a left-hander seems to be a headache to Butler."
Butler himself is a former undefeated IBF bantamweight title holder who is yet to taste defeat after 17 bouts, with eight KO wins.
He is now bidding to become the first British fighter in 100 years to drop down a weight division and win a second world title.
"Tete's records says he carries a lot of power for a super- flyweight (16 KOs from 19 wins against three losses)," Butler was quoted in the Englis press.
"So we've got to respect that."
l Live on SS7, from 11.30pm tonight
Tete plans birthday bonanza in Liverpool
IBF junior bantamweight champion Zolani Tete is hoping to give himself an early birthday present when he steps into a UK boxing ring to make a maiden title defence against Paul Butler at Liverpool's Echo Arena tonight.
IBF junior bantamweight champion Zolani Tete is hoping to give himself an early birthday present when he steps into a UK boxing ring to make a maiden title defence against Paul Butler at Liverpool's Echo Arena tonight.
The Eastern Cape-born fighter turns 27 on Sunday. He said yesterday he could not think of a better way to mark the special day than to stop Butler in his tracks.
"This will be my birthday present to myself," he said.
"Paul had better forget about his dream of winning his second world title, not at my expense. I have set my own goals."
Tete will have a lot at stake against Butler as his prized IBF title remains one of the few credible belts in a sport saturated with an alphabet soup of less creditable championships. Tete, his trainers Lehlohonolo Ledwaba and Zolile Tete, and manager Mlandeli Thengimfene have been acclimatising in the UK for the past 12 days.
"We had enough time to adapt to the chilly conditions over here. There is nothing to worry about," said Thengimfene from Liverpool yesterday.
"That Tete is a left-hander seems to be a headache to Butler."
Butler himself is a former undefeated IBF bantamweight title holder who is yet to taste defeat after 17 bouts, with eight KO wins.
He is now bidding to become the first British fighter in 100 years to drop down a weight division and win a second world title.
"Tete's records says he carries a lot of power for a super- flyweight (16 KOs from 19 wins against three losses)," Butler was quoted in the Englis press.
"So we've got to respect that."
l Live on SS7, from 11.30pm tonight
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