Frank Warren says that he believes Zolani Tete can win bantamweight unification fight against Naoya Inoue providing he successfully defends his WBO title against John Riel Casimero on Saturday night in Birmingham.

Tete, the 31-year-old South African, has been out of the ring for more than a year after suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to pull out of his World Boxing Super Series semi-final against Donaire.  Inouye beat Donaire in the final of the WBSS, but Warren believes Tete stands a serious chance against the Japanese superstar.

“He has to come through a tough fight, the mandatory, and if he does we are going to try and make the fight with Inoue,” Warren said.

“He is willing to go to Japan to fight him if he comes through Saturday. It would be a standout fight.”

Tete came through a potentially difficult opening fight in the WBSS when he travelled to Russia and won a messy unanimous points decision over double world amateur champion Mikhail Aloyan. But injury ended Tete’s chance of winning the Muhammad Ali and also cost him the best purse of his career.

“He was gutted,” Warren said. “First of all it was a big payday for him and he lost that. He also fancied the job. You saw in the final Inoue is an excellent fighter but he had a tough fight and I think Zolani is a better fighter than Donaire.

“Like most big punchers, if you can get few the first few rounds, he has a serious chance. I just hope he does get through this weekend and then we can make it because it will be a mega fight.

“Tete has the ability to keep out of the way of big punchers like Inoue and he can bang himself. He will give him all sorts of problems and he is a big guy at the weight.”

Casimero, from the Philippines, won the interim WBO title in Tete’s absence, having previously held the IBF flyweight title. But Warren is convinced we have not seen the best of Tete yet.

“He needs the opportunity, he just hasn’t had it yet. His future is on the line on Saturday,” Warren said. “He is the best fighter out of Africa right now.”