The last time we saw Zolani Tete inside a boxing ring, he impressed with a four-round destruction of Jason Cunningham.
However, things quickly soured when the South African tested positive for the banned substance stanazolol and received a four-year ban from boxing. The fight result was amended to a no contest.
Two years into that ban. and the two-division world champion still maintains his innocence.
“I never imagined myself going through a four-year ban as the responsible boxer that I am, but nevertheless it’s water under the bridge now,” Tete told The Ring. “I’m halfway through and by God’s grace I’m still looking good and I’m looking forward to the end of it.
“In all the investigations that my team and I went through, we still can’t really say what exactly happened from our side. We went to the fight well prepared in all respects, the closest answer we got from prof. Kintz could find was that it could only be a contamination, and collected the percentage of dust found and the dust not found on my toenails, as they were tested. Personally, I do not accept the ban because I am a clean and fair athlete.”
Since receiving the ban in August 2022, Tete, now 36, has found himself tapping away at the gym and helping others.
“Since the first day of the suspension I have been in training. As frustrated as I was, I had to stay focused in training so I didn’t lose myself in that process,” he said.
“Fortunately, I have club mates who still look up to me regardless of the result and I have made a choice to work with them and also help them grow their careers. I am now more motivated by their improvements since we started working together.”
When his ban ends, Tete will be 38 years old, but he still intends to return to boxing as an active competitor.
“Oh yes, my plan is definitely still unfinished,” he said defiantly. “I told myself that I would not let this setback make me withdraw from the sport I so desire, but I would retire on my own and on my own terms once I achieved my mission of becoming a three-division world champion to become So, the day I step into the square ring, I’ll pick up where I left off.”
Meanwhile, his manager, Mlandeli Tengimfene, stood by his fighters and helped him to diversify.
“Zolani has always been a workaholic in all aspects of boxing,” Tengimfene said. “When the dark cloud of the PED fell on him, I had to think more deeply about how I could best utilize him differently. A four year ban is no child’s play, anything can happen and maybe Zolani lost forever.
“God just made things easy sometimes, Azinga Fuzile and Siya Kuse joined the gym at the time Zolani started his sentence. I immediately instructed him to look after these two boys and the results are indeed there for all to see. With these two boys under the guidance of Zolani, I am sure two world champions,. Just wait and see. When he returns to the ring in 2026, he would have brought me world champions.”
Tete turned professional at 18 in 2006. The tall southpaw won his first 13 bouts before facing more experienced compatriot Moruti Mthalane (TKO 5) in an IBF flyweight title fight. He lost a pair of world title eliminators to Juan Alberto Rosas (MD 12) in Mexico and then in Argentina to Roberto Sosa (SD 12).
Undeterred, he returned to Mexico and Juan Carlos Sanchez Jr. (KO 10) in an IBF eliminator and then went to Japan where he defeated Teiru Kinoshita (UD 12) for the vacant IBF junior bantamweight title. The road fighter defended against Paul Buter (KO 8) in England and then vacated his belt after problems with his former promoter.
After a few fights, he moved up in weight and later claimed the WBO bantamweight title, making three defenses, including a shutout over former two-division titlist Omar Narvaez (UD 12). Tete lost the title on the scales and was then stopped by John Riel Casimiero (TKO 3). He won one more fight before the Cunningham no-contest.
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at (email protected).
