Zolani Tete

Name: Zolani Tete
Alias: Last Born
Born: 1988-03-08 (Age:29)
Birthplace: Eastern Cape, South Africa
Hometown: Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5′ 9″   /   175cm
Reach: 72″   /   183cm

Amateur Career

“I had more than 400 amateur contests and just three losses, one to my brother. We met in a provincial final. He was older and I was underweight. I was always very small and light. I had to put stones into my underwear to make the minimum 26KG (4st 1lb). I won three national gold medals and a bronze at the African zonal tournament but only had two or three senior bouts before turning pro.”

Regional & Minor Titles

  • World Boxing Foundation World flyweight title
  • WBO Africa flyweight title
  • WBO Africa super flyweight title
  • IBF International bantamweight title
  • interim WBO World bantamweight title

Career Factoids

Notes

  • Prior to his Sept. 29 2008 bout against Sergio Carlos Santillan, Tete collapsed in his home and suffered convulsions and an “epileptic fit” that caused his to temporarily lose consciousness. He was able to be brought around at the hospital, but after four days of testing, doctors still had no certain diagnosis as to what caused the episode. Due to eight months of inactivity, Tete was forced to relinquish his WBF flyweight title, but was eventually cleared to return to the ring.