As a memorial service for South African boxing champion Zolani ‘Last Born’ Tete gets underway in KuGompo City on Wednesday, the boxing fraternity is reflecting on the career of one of the country’s most accomplished fighters.
Also see: Slain boxing champion Zolani Tete continues to receive tributes
Zolani, who was 38, was fatally shot outside his Mdantsane home on 21 August 2026. Four suspects have since been arrested in connection with his murder.
As family, friends, fellow boxers and supporters gather to honour his life, here is a look back at five defining fights of Zolani’s career.
1. Zolani Tete vs Siboniso Gonya — 2017
Result: Zolani won by first-round KO
This is the fight that will forever be associated with Zolani’s name.
Defending his WBO bantamweight title against fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in Belfast, Zolani needed just 11 seconds to stop his opponent.
The astonishing knockout earned Zolani a place in boxing history as the holder of the record for the fastest knockout in a world-title fight.
It was one of the most devastating finishes of his career and cemented his reputation as one of the division’s most dangerous punchers.
2. Zolani Tete vs Paul Butler — 2015
Result: Zolani won by eighth-round TKO
Zolani faced unbeaten British boxer Paul Butler in Liverpool in a major test of his IBF super-flyweight title reign.
Paul entered the fight with an impressive undefeated record, but Zolani eventually stopped him in the eighth round.
The victory demonstrated Zolani’s ability to deal with a highly regarded unbeaten challenger and further established him as a world-class fighter.
3. Zolani Tete vs Arthur Villanueva — 2017
Result: Zolani won by unanimous decision
Zolani defeated Filipino contender Arthur Villanueva in a dominant performance to claim the WBO interim bantamweight title.
The judges scored the fight 120-107, 119-108 and 119-108 in Zolani’s favour, with the South African also scoring a knockdown in the 11th round.
The victory put Zolani in position to become the full WBO bantamweight champion.
Also see: Zolani Tete murder: 3 more suspects taken into custody
4. Zolani Tete vs Omar Narváez — 2018
Result: Zolani won by unanimous decision
One of the biggest names on Zolani’s résumé was Argentine veteran Omar Narváez, a former two-weight world champion.
Zolani successfully defended his WBO bantamweight title against the experienced challenger, winning all three judges’ scorecards 120-108.
The victory showed Zolani could combine his power with discipline and technical ability over 12 rounds.
5. Zolani Tete vs Teiru Kinoshita — 2014
Result: Zolani won by unanimous decision
Before becoming a two-division world champion, Zolani travelled to Japan to face Teiru Kinoshita for the vacant IBF junior-bantamweight title.
Zolani won comfortably on points, with the judges scoring the fight 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110.
The victory gave him his first world championship and marked a major milestone in a career that would eventually see him become a two-division world champion.
A champion remembered
Zolani finished his professional career with a 29-4 record, including 22 knockouts, and captured world titles at junior-bantamweight and bantamweight.
His extraordinary 11-second knockout against Gonya remains his most famous achievement, but his legacy goes beyond one spectacular night.
The boxer was also preparing for a return to the ring after his four-year doping ban ended in July 2026, with reports that he had been targeting a comeback fight later this year.
Now, as his memorial service takes place in KuGompo City from 12pm to 4pm on Wednesday, the boxing community is remembering not only the record-breaking champion but also the Mdantsane-born fighter who put South African boxing on the international stage.
His funeral is scheduled for Saturday, 29 August 2026, with arrangements for the venue having been announced by Boxing South Africa.
Also see: Zolani Tete murder: 2 Suspects seek bail, 2 abandon applications
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