For Zolani Tete the Time Is Now!
After a 13-month layoff, WBO World Bantamweight Champion Zolani Tete (28-3-1, 21 KO’s) makes his long-awaited return to the ring on Saturday, November 30. He will face WBO World “Interim” champ John Riel Casimero (28-4, 19 KO’s) at Arena Birmingham in Birmingham, England.
For the man known as “Last Born”, he’s more than ready to step back into action.
2019 has been a difficult year for Tete. A participant of the WBSS Bantamweight tournament, he was initially set to fight Nonito Donaire in the semifinals on April 12, 2019. Days before the bout the fighter from Eastern Cape, South Africa had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury.
Donaire went on to defeat late fill-in Stephon Young, then fight top five pound-for-pound fighter and unified champion Naoya Inoue in the finals.
The 31-year-old could do nothing more than sit on the shelf and recover. He met the missed opportunity with disappointment and frustration .
“Disappointed is an understatement! It was disastrous. I wanted to fight Donaire for my resume, let alone wanting to be in the final. The injury was due to overuse of the shoulder.
“That’s what the doctor says and I am now guarding against that. The doctor referred me to the physiotherapist, whom I praise for a sterling job well done. There was no operation. It was merely hand therapy.”
Now fully recovered, Tete is itching to fight and wants to remind folks that he’s still a big player in the bantamweight division.
Before his injury, the skilled southpaw was regarded as one of the elite fighters in the division. Furthermore, one of the more talented fighters around regardless of weight. In boxing as in with most things in sports and life, it’s about “what have you done lately.” Due to a combination of inactivity and the rise of Inoue, Tete has become a bit of a forgotten fighter.
Desperately wanting a big-money unification bout against Inoue in 2020, the time is now for Tete to make his mark and prove he’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighters around. Those dreams go away if he doesn’t take care of business on November 30.
This is a must-win!
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
