MANILA, Philippines—Nonito Donaire’s hopes of a title unification hit a stop after WBO World bantamweight champion Zolani Tete pulled out of their fight in the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series on Sunday (Manila time).
According to a report from Boxing Scene, Tete (28-3) suffered tendonitis on his right shoulder just days before the fight and he found it to be troublesome enough to pull out from the fight that would’ve unified his WBO belt with Donaire’s WBA World bantamweight title.
Taking Tete’s place is the United State’s Stephon Young (18-1-3) who’s coming off a 10-round unanimous decision win over Wilner Soto back in October of 2018.
My family sacrificed, i sacrificed, Im on weight, Ive been training, and in the end I am not responsible for another mans injury.
— Nonito Donaire (@filipinoflash) April 26, 2019
Donaire (39-5) said whatever it takes to get to the finals where he will face the winner between Naoya Inoue and IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez.
“Listen I get it, he got tendonitis on his shoulder and wants it healed. He has to make the call he has to for himself,” said Donaire in the post. “My family sacrificed, I sacrificed, I’m on my weight, I’ve been training and in the end I’m not responsible for another man’s injury.”
So I’m going to go in there against Stephon Young and I’m going to do what I came here to do in front of the Lafayette fans, my friends, and family. Take my titles to the finals.”
Tete, meanwhile, said he couldn’t afford to fight Donaire with a bum shoulder.
“It is very sad and disappointing for myself and my team that we have to pull out of the fight this Saturday,” said Tete in Boxing Scene’s report. “We were looking forward to the fight, but to fight such an incredible opponent like Nonito Donaire you need to be one hundred percent.
He said he started feeling something different with his shoulder while doing pad workouts on Monday.
“I told my team there is something funny in my shoulder, but that it was nothing serious. The following day I was doing a light session, but I could feel this thing and when I went bed to bed I couldn’t sleep properly. We went to the doctor who discovered tendonitis in my shoulder and he could see it was inflamed.”