Jason Cunningham goes into this Saturday’s fight at Wembley Arena against Zolani Tete full of confidence but knows he cannot make any mistakes against the former world champion.
32-year-old Yorkshireman Cunningham hasn’t lost a fight since being beaten on points by Michael Conlan four years ago. Seven bouts since then have produced seven wins as well the British, Commonwealth and European Super Bantamweight titles at the same time. But going from beating an overmatched Terry Le Couviour last time out to Tete is a significant leap in quality.
“I need to be on it at this level, I can’t afford any little slip-ups or lapses against Tete,” said the ‘Iceman’ in a Queensbury Promotions press release.
Tete has already won world titles at super flyweight and bantamweight and is remembered by British fight fans for stopping Paul Butler in eight rounds seven years ago in the first defence of his first championship. The South African is now 34 and has fought just twice in two and a half years but Cunningham is focusing on the threat he poses rather than his inactivity.
“I know he has been inactive for the last couple of years but, still, he has been there, and he has done it at multiple weights. I have definitely got the bit between my teeth for this fight, and I just think the timing is right.
“The time is now really, if I want to be world champion; I need to beat Tete, simple as that.”