By Elliot Foster
Zolani Tete is set to return to the ring later this month as he looks to claim another world title.
The former IBF super-flyweight world champion, who beat Ellesmere Port’s former bantamweight king Paul Butler in March, 2015 before relinquishing due to be offered a paltry purse for a mandatory defence against McJoe Arroyo, has been out of the ring for eight months.
Boxing Scene has been informed that South Africa’s Tete (24-3, 20 KOs) will box in Cardiff, at the Motorpoint Arena, on November 26, exclusively live on BoxNation.
The 28-year-old southpaw, whose nickname is ‘Last Born’, was handed a final eliminator for the WBO bantamweight world title at the sanctioning body’s recent convention.
And ‘Scene understands that Tete’s promoter Frank Warren, of Queensberry Promotions, intends to showcase him against Arthur Villanueva of Philippines on the already stacked ‘A Little Less Conversation’ card in Wales which features two world title battles and a whole host of strapping action.
Villanueva, 27, has a record of 30-1 (16 KOs) and is a former challenger to Tete’s old IBF belt at 115 pounds, but the pair are set to meet a division north at bantamweight as they each look for the opportunity to come up against current Boxing Organisation king in the division Marlon Tapales.
The pair are rated one and two respectively in the latest rankings, with an official announcement expected soon.
The bill is headed by Terry Flanagan’s fourth defence of the WBO lightweight crown against Orlando Cruz and Billy Joe Saunders’ defence of the WBO middleweight belt against Artur Akavov.
Elsewhere, Liam Williams defends his British super-welterweight title against domestic rival Ahmet Patterson, Tommy Langford and Sam Sheedy meet in a middleweight battle with the vacant British title at stake and Tom Stalker fights Craig Evans for a third time as they look to settle the score, which currently sits at two draws, with the former’s WBO European lightweight belt on the line.
There is also action for Welsh trio Alex Hughes, Jay Harris and Jason Sillett, while Ricky Hatton-promoted duo Reuben Arrowsmith and Nathan Gorman have been handed spots on the card.