By Ian S Palmer
Jason Cunningham of Doncaster, England will be defending his IBF International and British Commonwealth Super Bantamweight Titles this Saturday, July 2nd against former WBO Bantamweight Champion Zolani Tete of South Africa. The 12-round bout from Wembley Arena in London, England can be seen live in the UK on BT Sport 1. Cunningham last fought in April when he stopped Terry Le Couviour in the sixth round. Tete last boxed in December when he halted Iddi Kayumba in 55 seconds.
The 32-year-old Cunningham enters the ring with a mark of 31-6 with 7 Ko’s and has 258 rounds under his belt since making his pro debut in 2011. Before that, the southpaw enjoyed a brief amateur career. Since turning pro, Cunningham has also captured the BBBoC English Bantamweight Title (twice), as well as the Commonwealth Boxing Council Bantamweight Title, the Commonwealth Boxing Council Featherweight Title, the BBBoC Central Area Super Bantamweight Title and the EBU European Super Bantamweight Belt.
Cunningham doesn’t appear to have the best record out there though as he’s lost six times and just 21 of his 37 opponents have had winning records. However, he’s been stopped just once as he was halted in six rounds by Reece Bellotti in 2017 to lose the Commonwealth Featherweight Title. He’s also dropped decisions to Ross Burkinshaw and Jason Booth in 2014, Khalid Yafai in 2015, Jordan Gill in 2018 and Michael Conlan, also in 2018. Cunningham now enters this weekend’s fight on a seven-match winning streak.
Cunningham has below-average power with a current knockout ratio of just 18.9 per cent. He stands 5 feet-7-inches tall and has an unlisted reach. He’s done well for himself at the domestic and European level up to now but it’s hard to say how he’ll fare when he steps up in class to the world-class level. Tete is no longer an elite boxer but he’s at least a step in the right direction for Cunningham.
Tete is now 34 years old and has fought just once since losing his world title to John Riel Casimero by way of third-round stoppage in November, 2019. He now carries around a record of 29-4 with 22 Ko’s. Tete is also a southpaw who fought over 400 times as an amateur and reportedly lost just three times. He turned pro in 2006 and has 185 rounds under his belt since then.
Tete has also won the WBF World, and WBO Africa Flyweight Title since turning pro along with the IBF World, and WBO Africa Super Flyweight Titles and the IBF International, and interim WBO World Bantamweight Titles. He’s has gone 5-2 in world title fights with 2 Ko’s and is 3-3 with 2 Ko’s against former or current world champions.
His biggest wins have been against Victor Ruiz, Arthur Villanueva, Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr, Paul Butler and Omar Andres Narvaez with his first three losses coming to Moruti Mthalane, Juan Alberto Rosas (majority decision) and Roberto Domingo Sosa (split decision) with Mthalane also stopping him in the fifth round back in 2010. Tete stands 5-feet-9-inches tall and has a wingspan of 72 inches which gives him a two-inch height advantage over Cunningham.
He has better-than-average power with a current knockout ratio of 66.7 per cent and famously knocked out Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds after landing the first punch of the fight in November of 2017. Tete has been dropped a couple of times before and of course has been stopped, but he still has a relatively solid chin. He has plenty of experience and has lost just once since 2012 and was riding a 12-fight winning streak until losing to Casimero.
Prediction…
If Tete was in his prime he should have no problem beating Cunningham, but it’s hard to say what he has left at the age of 34 and fighting just once since November, 2019. Tete is going to have to dominate this fight or score a stoppage as getting a decision in England against a hometown fighter is virtually impossible these days. If Tete still has the desire to compete as a pro boxer though I’d lean towards him winning this fight. It won’t be easy but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
