AFTER playing delaying tactics, Japanese boxer Daiki Kameda announced that he was giving up his IBF junior-bantamweight crown, paving the way for Mdantsane boxer Zolani Tete to fight for the vacant crown.
The venue, opponent as well as the date will be determined after Kameda officially informs the IBF of his decision to abdicate the throne.
However, Tete’s promoter Branco Milenkovic is already laying the groundwork – including his plans to stage the fight in South Africa.
Milenkovic said he would be waiting for an official word from the IBF to see who Tete will face for the vacant crown.
“We are hoping to get something from the IBF this weekend,” he said.
Tete earned the right to challenge for the crown when he travelled to Mexico to upset local favourite Juan Carlos Sanchez with a 10th-round stoppage in November last year.
Not given a chance against Sanchez, who is the former holder of the crown, Tete overcame a 47 hours flight, arriving just hours before the weigh-in to shock the Mexicans with one of the greatest victories by a South African boxer abroad.
Recalling the trip, Milenkovic admitted that he advised Tete and his manager Mla Thengimfene to turn down the fight given the stumbling blocks they had to go through.
“But Tete insisted that he wanted to go to Mexico and promised me that he would return with the win,” said Milenkovic.
“Now the least I can do for him is to give him home advantage against any opponent the IBF will mandate.”
Asked which foe he would like Tete to fight for the vacant title, Milenkovic said: “Daiki Kameda, but we will know that that is not possible so we are prepared for any opponent the IBF gives us.”
Kameda, who together with his brothers Koki and Tomok were recently inducted into Guinness Book of Records for being the only three siblings to hold world titles, has been struggling to make the junior-bantamweight division for a while.
At one stage he was said to have relinquished the title ahead of the Tete-Sanchez bout leading Zenfer Promotions billing the bout as one for the vacant title.
But Kameda changed his mind and engaged in a WBA/IBF title unification against Venezuelan Liborio Solis who upset him with a points decision but could not be crowned the dual champion owing to his failure to make the weight before the fight.
Second-rated Japanese southpaw Teiru Kinoshita is already touted as the opponent to face Tete for the vacant crown.
Thengimfene said they have already studied the Japanese fighter and detected his weaknesses.
“It is funny in that when Kameda did his tricks we suspected that he might vacate and began to look up at the ratings seeing which opponent the IBF would likely approve for Tete,” he said.
“Now we have been studying Kinoshita by watching his videos and although he is a southpaw like Zolani he does not pose any danger especially as he is not even a big puncher.”
Indeed Tete is the bigger punch having floored 16 of his 18 victims with just three losses, while the Japanese has scored just three knockouts in 20 bouts with 19 wins and a draw.
With SABC-TV having just announced its return to boxing broadcasting, there is a great chance that the fight would be held in the country.
Tete gets title break
The venue, opponent as well as the date will be determined after Kameda officially informs the IBF of his decision to abdicate the throne.
However, Tete’s promoter Branco Milenkovic is already laying the groundwork – including his plans to stage the fight in South Africa.
Milenkovic said he would be waiting for an official word from the IBF to see who Tete will face for the vacant crown.
“We are hoping to get something from the IBF this weekend,” he said.
Tete earned the right to challenge for the crown when he travelled to Mexico to upset local favourite Juan Carlos Sanchez with a 10th-round stoppage in November last year.
Not given a chance against Sanchez, who is the former holder of the crown, Tete overcame a 47 hours flight, arriving just hours before the weigh-in to shock the Mexicans with one of the greatest victories by a South African boxer abroad.
Recalling the trip, Milenkovic admitted that he advised Tete and his manager Mla Thengimfene to turn down the fight given the stumbling blocks they had to go through.
“But Tete insisted that he wanted to go to Mexico and promised me that he would return with the win,” said Milenkovic.
“Now the least I can do for him is to give him home advantage against any opponent the IBF will mandate.”
Asked which foe he would like Tete to fight for the vacant title, Milenkovic said: “Daiki Kameda, but we will know that that is not possible so we are prepared for any opponent the IBF gives us.”
Kameda, who together with his brothers Koki and Tomok were recently inducted into Guinness Book of Records for being the only three siblings to hold world titles, has been struggling to make the junior-bantamweight division for a while.
At one stage he was said to have relinquished the title ahead of the Tete-Sanchez bout leading Zenfer Promotions billing the bout as one for the vacant title.
But Kameda changed his mind and engaged in a WBA/IBF title unification against Venezuelan Liborio Solis who upset him with a points decision but could not be crowned the dual champion owing to his failure to make the weight before the fight.
Second-rated Japanese southpaw Teiru Kinoshita is already touted as the opponent to face Tete for the vacant crown.
Thengimfene said they have already studied the Japanese fighter and detected his weaknesses.
“It is funny in that when Kameda did his tricks we suspected that he might vacate and began to look up at the ratings seeing which opponent the IBF would likely approve for Tete,” he said.
“Now we have been studying Kinoshita by watching his videos and although he is a southpaw like Zolani he does not pose any danger especially as he is not even a big puncher.”
Indeed Tete is the bigger punch having floored 16 of his 18 victims with just three losses, while the Japanese has scored just three knockouts in 20 bouts with 19 wins and a draw.
With SABC-TV having just announced its return to boxing broadcasting, there is a great chance that the fight would be held in the country.
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