How can you not be happy with the story of the IBF super flyweight champ?? (Not to mention his style, which is very aesthetically pleasing. :hey) He scrabbles his way up the South African domestic 112lb heap, starts taking on international competition, gets through an eliminator, and is humbled via knockout at the hands of his countryman, the very good Mthalane. So does he quit? Nope. He moves up to super fly, and keeps plugging away, refining his skills, earning a couple more world title eliminators and suffering bitterly close losses in both. Then, finally, third attempt's the charm, and he picks up his career-best W over Sanchez Jr. to earn a crack at the IBF's vacant 115lb title. He captures it, on the road, in his opponent's backyard - and then defends it successfully on the road, in his opponent's backyard...with many writing him off beforehand as some mere delivery vessel for local favorite Paul Butler's 2nd world title! ...and he's using the proceeds of the dominant victory over Butler, his career-high payday, to buy his disabled mom a new set of prosthetic legs!! :shock: I kid you not. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_vKTC8XEAAfgwi.jpg You can't hate on Tete.
I've not seen him fight before the Butler fight but I was thoroughly impressed, he absolutely schooled the guy and to boot - ended in an emphatic fashion.
I actually don't even consider Butler his best W. The best Tete has faced, in order, are: Mthalane, Sanchez Jr., Rosas, and Butler/Kinoshiga tied at fourth (both ahead of Sosa, who got a hometown gift over Tete in Argentina)
He reminds me a bit of a southpaw Celestino Cabellero...And not just in terms of style. In terms of his willingness to fight on the road, and the manner in which he eviscerated a well-schooled, popular boxer in the opponent's backyard, they are quite similar.
Yeah, he's certainly more precise in terms of punching technique. Seems to have a bit more power as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFQaNgQcpyI That uppercut by which he smote Butler was no accident... :deal #hardwork #dedication
A victory over Kino****a isn't anything to get too excited about. He was the Japanese champion but not a very good one, more fortunate than anything else. That bout however was held in the hotel where Kino****a works...
Nobody could brag about it anyway because his name doesn't get past the stupid word filters. :twisted: Seriously though - 6-0 in Japanese title bouts including victories over Kenji Oba, Atsushi Kakutani, and Go Onaga (against whom TK is 1-0-1) doesn't read like such a shabby resume. Not up there with Mthalane's or Sanchez's but definitely with Butler's (whose best scalp is also a domestic rival)
Seems like a nice humble guy, and I must say I'm very happy he knock that little pissant Butler out, he has an incredibly unlikeable face. You just wanna smack him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLt9KOyvlVg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLdZIXxPimU
Zolani Tete vs. Moruti Mthalane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPiBUCCJftw Zolani Tete vs. Juan Alberto Rosas: http://en.channel.pandora.tv/channe...jami21&prgid=44061588&categid=32305175&page=3 (NOT ON YOUTUBE, SORRY) Zolani Tete vs. Roberto Domingo Sosa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gZ5cfZXWCI Zolani Tete vs. Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CSr3IDyWyc Zolani Tete vs. Teiru Kinoshi✝a: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aadlC4ueb6U Zolani Tete vs. Paul Butler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXwK5bSsDXQ