Zolani Tete is Upset By Withdrawal of Zhanat Zhakiyanov

By Mesuli Zifo

The camp of former IBF junior bantamweight king Zolani Tete is upset that Zhanat Zhakiyanov has withdrawn from their WBA interim bantamweight title clash initially scheduled to be held at Echo Arena in Liverpool on June 4.

Tete (23-3, 19 KOs) and Zhakiyanov were scheduled to collide in a high stakes clash which would have served a penultimate step towards a fully fledged world title shot against either regular champion Jamie McDonnell or super champion Juan Carlos Payano.

The encounter was to form a co-feature to the WBO junior middleweight title defence by Liam Smith against a challenger yet to be determined.

But Zhakiyanov (26-1-0, 18 KOs) withdrew from the fight leaving Tete livid as he was starting to warm up in the camp.

While Tete will still make an appearance in the card promoted by Frank Warren and Queensberry Promotions, he will now have to contend to facing a low quay opponent to defend the IBF international bantamweight belt.

“We are disappointed by Zhakiyanov withdrawal because we wanted to use the opportunity to mount a challenge to a world title,’’ the boxer’s manager Mla Tengimfene said.

Tete is fresh from scoring a stoppage win over Mexican Jose Santos Gonzalez at the same venue this past March to pick up the IBF international belt.

A former IBF world junior bantamweight champion who left tongues wagging when he sensationally knocked out the previously undefeated Liverpudlian Paul Butler in March last year, Tete is yet to parlay that victory to bigger things as he opted to relinquish the IBF crown due what he claimed were unfavourable conditions for his mandatory defence against McJoe Arroyo who has since ascended the throne.

Now he will face an opponent yet to be announced to take a longer route towards another world title shot.

“It is obvious that we will have to use the GGG strategy of cornering other champions into facing us by fighting our way up to a mandatory position,” Tengimfene said referring to Golovkin’s strategy of cornering Canelo Alvarez into defending his WBC middleweight title against him.

While no official word has been received about Zhakiyanov decision to withdraw insiders claim that the Kazakhstani’s weight has since ballooned and he can no longer make the bantamweight having not fought since beating Yonfrez Parejo in Monte Carlo last November.

Tengimfene says he hopes the WBA will mandate Tete to fight for the interim belt if indeed Zhakiyanov cannot make the weight.