WBO ORDERS VILLANUEVA-TETE ELIMINATOR BOUT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 21 Oct 2016
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico ? The WBO has ordered an eliminator bout to the world bantamweight title of Marlon Tapales here Thursday between No. 1 ranked Arthur Villanueva of the Philippines and Zolani Tete of South Africa. WBO president Francisco 'Paco' Valcarcel directed Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, Tete's promoter, to immediately begin negotiations with Villanueva's promoter ALA Promotions.
The eliminator bout was acted upon by the WBO upon the request of Warren during the Championship and Ratings Committee discussions during the final day of the WBO 29th Convention at the plush Caribe Hilton here.
Warren told Valcarcel that Tete (24-3-0, 20KOs), a former IBF super flyweight world title holder, was willing to fight Villanueva in England or in the Philippines.
Villanueva (30-1-0, 16KOs) came from a sensational second round stoppage of Juan Jimenez of Mexico in their rematch at the StubHub Center in Carson, California last month.
Meanwhile, the champion, Tapales, is set to defend his title against No. 7 ranked Takuma Inoue (8-0, 2KOs) of Japan in Tokyo on December 30 and if he wins, he will likely face the winner of the Villanueva-Tete eliminator as his mandatory challenger.
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