Zolani Tete


Zolani Tete is a South African professional boxer. He is a former two-weight world champion, having held the IBF junior-bantamweight title from 2014 to 2015 and the WBO bantamweight title from 2017 to 2019.
𝕏 zolanitete1IG zolanitete

Early life and amateur career

Tete grew up in the Mdantsane township. He had a rough childhood. His father was a pastor. Him and his brother, Makazole, took up boxing when Zolani was eight. Tete looked up to South African former world champions Vuyani Bungu and Welcome Ncita while in the unpaid ranks. Tete would later be trained by Bungu. He claims to have over 400 amateur fights, only three of which were losses, as amateur he met Hekkie Budler former WBA world minify and WBA and IBF World junior flyweight champion and The Ring champ theytwo times in South African national games Tete won one and lost one to Hekkie.

Professional career

Flyweight

Tete made his professional debut in May 2006. He won his first 8 fights by stoppage. In his eighth bout he won the WBF flyweight title, which he defended twice. Tete earned a shot at a major world title for the first time, beating Richard Garcia in a title eliminator by unanimous decision. Tete went on to face Moruti Mthalane for the IBF flyweight title, suffering his first loss with a round 5 technical knockout.

Junior bantamweight

After the loss to Mthalane, Tete moved up to junior-bantamweight. He received another opportunity to fight in an IBF eliminator, but lost a majority decision to Juan Alberto Rosas. After a bounce-back win, Tete fought in yet another eliminator but lost by split decision to Roberto Sosa. Tete seem to befuddle Sosa with his length early on, but as the fight went on Sosa surged and earned the nod. Sosa received a warning due to low blows but there was no point deductions.
In November 2013, Tete would fight in a third IBF junior-bantamweight eliminator against former champion Juan Carlos Sánchez Jr. Sánchez had lost the IBF title due to coming in overweight against Sosa, thus leaving the title vacant after beating Sosa. The winner would be the IBF's mandatory challenger to the winner of the Liborio Solís-Daiki Kameda unification bout. Tete knocked down Sánchez in round five before being dropped himself in round six. After being knocked down, Tete resorted to excessive holding, losing points in rounds eight and nine. However, he was able to put Sánchez away in round ten.
Solís would beat Kameda, but he also lost his title on the scales, leaving the IBF title vacant. Tete would face Teiru Kinoshita in July 2014 for the vacant title, winning a comfortable unanimous decision. After one successful defence, he chose to vacate the title rather than fight mandatory challenger McJoe Arroyo. Tete went on to sign with British promoter Frank Warren in December 2015.

Bantamweight

Tete made his bantamweight debut in 2016. In his third fight in the division in 2017, Tete claimed the WBO interim by beating Arthur Villanueva. Tete won a wide unanimous decision, dropping Villanueva in round eleven. Tete was later elevated to full champion by the WBO.
In his first defense of his title in November 18, Tete established a Guinness world record for the fastest knockout in a championship fight, defeating Siboniso Gonya in 11 seconds, 6 seconds faster than the previous record in Daniel Jiménez's 17-second knockout of Harald Geier in September 3, 1994, which held the record for 8,477 days. Tete still holds the record to this day.

Tete vs. Narvaez

On April 21, 2018, Tete defended his WBO belt against Omar Narvaez, who was WBO #1 ranked contender at the time. In a highly unexciting bout, Tete still manage to get a unanimous decision victory, winning 120–108 on all three scorecards.

Tete vs. Aloyan

In his next title defense, Tete faced Mikhail Aloyan, ranked #5 by the WBA and #6 by the WBO. Tete won the fight on all three scorecards, 114–111, 114-111 and 114–110.

Tete vs. Donaire cancellation

Tete was scheduled to face Nonito Donaire on April 27, 2019, but pulled out of the fight due to a shoulder injury.

Tete vs. Casimero

In his next bout, Tete fought former world champion John Riel Casimero. Casimero dropped Tete twice before the referee waved the fight off in the third round and awarded Casimero the TKO win.

Doping ban

In August 2023, Tete was issued with a four-year ban for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for stanozolol. The ban is set to end in July 2026.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
34NCJason CunninghamKO4 2 Jul 2022Wembley Arena, Wembley, England, U.K.Originally a KO win for Tete, but changed to a no contest due to a failed drug test; for Commonwealth, IBF & vacant WBO International super bantamweight titles
33Win29–4Iddi KayumbaKO1, 0:5512 Dec 2021Booysens Boxing Club, Johannesburg, South Africa
32Loss28–4John Riel CasimeroTKO3, 2:1430 Nov 2019Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, England, U.K.Lost WBO bantamweight title
31Win28–3Mikhail AloyanUD1213 Oct 2018Expo Center, Yekaterinburg, RussiaRetained WBO bantamweight title;
World Boxing Super Series: bantamweight quarter-final
30Win27–3Omar NarváezUD1221 Apr 2018SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.Retained WBO bantamweight title
29Win26–3Siboniso GonyaTKO1, 0:1118 Nov 2017SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.Retained WBO bantamweight title
28Win25–3Arthur VillanuevaUD1222 Apr 2017Leicester Arena, Leicester, England, U.K.Won WBO interim bantamweight title
27Win24–3Victor RuizTKO7, 0:504 Jun 2016Echo Arena, Liverpool, England, U.K.Won IBF International bantamweight title
26Win23–3José Santos GonzálezTKO7, 2:3712 Mar 2016Echo Arena, Liverpool, England, U.K.
25Win22–3Jether OlivaUD1219 Dec 2015Orient Theatre, East London, South AfricaWon vacant WBO Africa junior-bantamweight title
24Win21–3Diuhl OlguínTKO8, 1:524 Sep 2015Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
23Win20–3Paul ButlerTKO8, 1:346 Mar 2015Echo Arena, Liverpool, England, U.K.Retained IBF junior-bantamweight title
22Win19–3Teiru KinoshitaUD1218 Jul 2014Portopia Hotel, Kobe, JapanWon vacant IBF junior-bantamweight title
21Win18–3Juan Carlos Sánchez Jr.KO10, 2:4330 Nov 2013Auditorio del Estado, Mexicali, Mexico
20Win17–3Eduard PenerioKO1, 2:3723 Mar 2013Carnival City Casino, Brakpan, South Africa
19Loss16–3Roberto Sosa121 Sep 2012Polideportivo Municipal, Córdoba, Argentina
18Win16–2Siphiwo NtsanganiKO1, 0:3430 Mar 2012Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
17Loss15–2Juan Alberto Rosas1226 Nov 2011Plaza de Toros, Mazatlán, Mexico
16Win15–1Olebogeng MotsekiTKO7, 2:2411 Jun 2011Carnival City, Brakpan, South Africa
15Win14–1Sipho NkadimengKO1, 2:2017 Dec 2010Gompo Hall, East London, South Africa
14Loss13–1Moruti MthalaneTKO5, 2:271 Sep 2010Carnival City, Brakpan, South AfricaFor IBF flyweight title
13Win13–0Richard GarciaUD1226 Feb 2010Wembley Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
12Win12–0Anthony MathiasKO1, 2:3820 Nov 2009Wembley Stadium, Johannesburg, South AfricaWon vacant WBO Africa flyweight title
11Win11–0Rexon FloresKO1, 0:2829 Mar 2009Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
10Win10–0Francis MiyeyushoTKO1, 2:2429 Jun 2008Orient Theatre, East London, South AfricaRetained WBF flyweight title
9Win9–0Xolani Ntese1230 Mar 2008Orient Theatre, East London, South AfricaRetained WBF flyweight title
8Win8–0Vicky Tahumil4, 3:0023 Sep 2007Orient Theatre, East London, South AfricaWon vacant WBF flyweight title
7Win7–0Wiseman KegaKO1 1 Apr 2007Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
6Win6–0Vuyo Toyise1, 1:304 Mar 2007Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
5Win5–0Zukile TokoTKO5 9 Dec 2006Indoor Centre, Mdantsane, South Africa
4Win4–0Mthutuzeli FundeTKO1, 1:447 Oct 2006Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
3Win3–0Xolile NgemntuTKO1, 0:1019 Aug 2006Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
2Win2–0Thembinkosi TywantsiTKO1, 0:5222 Jul 2006Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa
1Win1–0Andile Solani1, 1:3927 May 2006Orient Theatre, East London, South Africa