Zolani Tete advanced to the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight semifinals despite the efforts of Mikhail Aloyan.
In the second WBSS bantamweight quarterfinal fight in as many weeks, Tete retained his WBO title with a unanimous decision win over Aloyan (114-111, 114-111, 114-110).
The opening round started off well for Tete as he scored a quick knockdown thanks to a left hand followed by a short right hook. Aloyan was off-balanced and those two punches took him down for the first time in his pro career.
Aloyan rebounded with a quick right jab in the second which stunned Tete, but not enough for Aloyan to try and score a knockdown of his own. Aloyan landed another big punch starting in the fourth round and then a big right hook midway through the round. Tete, on the other hand, has been able to keep landing his jab to the inexperienced Aloyan.
Tete continued landing the jab and outworking Aloyan, but Aloyan would try to force the fight to be one contested at close range. Aloyan would consistently push Tete down to the canvas, resulting in the champion falling with no knockdown being counted.
However, Aloyan wasn?t the only one doing some holding. Late in the fight, Tete had a point taken away from him in the tenth round. Shortly afterwards, Aloyan suffered a cut above his right eye and Tete would try to target the cut for the remainder of the round.
Although Aloyan tried his best to bring the fight to Tete and make a comeback, Tete was never in any serious trouble. Aloyan had a point deducted in the 11th round for what appeared to be excessive holding. The loss marked the first of Aloyan?s pro career as he tried to join an exclusive club of fighters to win a world title five fights or less into their pro career, a list that includes Vasiliy Lomachenko.
The 30-year-old Tete will face off against the winner of Ryan Burnett vs. Nonito Donaire for the WBA ?super? bantamweight title. That fight will take place on November 3 in Glasgow, Scotland in the main event of its own World Boxing Super Series card and the semifinals are set to start sometime in 2019.