By Mesuli Zifo
The camp of former WBA featherweight champion Simpiwe Vetyeka is upset that lower rated Abner Mares has been approved to challenge regular champion Jesus Cuellar on June 25 in New York ahead of him despite coming off a loss.
Since being dethroned by Nonito Donaire in a controversial cut-induced technical decision, Vetyeka has been fighting to get back to the title mix.
Having gradually made his way back to contention with wins over Arturo Santos Reyes and Rudolfo Puente, Vetyeka ( 28-3, 17 KOs) has now vaulted to the third spot in the ratings and was hoping to parlay the lofty placing to big fights.
However he is yet to get his big break, instead he is taking relatively unheralded opponents to keep active and hope for the best.
On Friday in East London, South Africa, Vetyeka will face unknown Japanese Tsuyoshi Tameda, a 22-year-old of 16 fights, a loss and two draws with no recognizable name in his ledger.
On the other hand Mares who reportedly turned down a fight with Vetyeka is getting a second bite at the title even though he lost to Leo Santa Cruz in his last bout in August last year.
“This is unfair because at least I should be the one fighting Cuellar, not Mares who ran away from a fight with me,” Vetyeka said.
“This guy is even rated below me by the WBA yet he gets a title shot ahead of me after ducking me.”
While Vetyeka’s claims may be seen as sour grapes, he does have a point especially considering his performance against Reyes whom he shut out while Mares struggled when he beat the Mexican after he had suffered a defeat to Vetyeka.
But Mares has influential Al Haymon who ironically also signed up Vetyeka as his adviser with the deal never yielding dividends for the 35-year-old South African.
Asked why he has not yet benefited from his association with Haymon, Vetyeka’s SA promoter Andile Sidinile who signed a co-promotion with Leon Margules- one of the promoters in Haymon’s kraal- said he is also baffled by the cold treatment his fighter is getting.
“I have decided to do my part as his co-promoter by keeping him active until a world title opportunity comes along,” he said.
“ But I always keep Margules and Haymon posted about the developments.”
The strain took a toll on Vetyeka and Sidinile relationship leading to them severing ties for a brief moment before reconciling and resumed their world title pursuit.
Tameda has never fought outside the confines of his country and this was evident when he came face to face with Vetyeka for the first time at the final press briefing held just a few meters from Vetyeka’s home in Mdantsane- a township considered a breeding ground of boxing talent in South Africa.
“ I see this fight as an honour for me in that it will give me an opportunity to fight one of the best boxers in the division,” Tameda said.
“I have watched Vetyeka especially when he challenged my compatriot Hozumi Hasegawa and he is a technically good fighter.”
Tameda was only 16 years old when Vetyeka dropped a decision to Hasegawa in a WBC bantamweight title challenge in 2007.
Sidinile who attended the WBA Convention in Panama last year to argue Vetyeka’s case resulting to his third rating, is hoping that his charge will be approved to challenge the winner of Mares-Cuellar fight.
