Former two-weight boxing world champion Zolani Tete has died aged 38 after being shot outside his home in South Africa. Police officials from the Eastern Cape said Tete was ambushed by at least two masked gunmen who had been waiting in a car before opening fire on the boxer and a 27-year-old woman who was with him.
Attack outside the home
The attack took place at around 6:30pm local time. Both Tete and the female passenger were shot, with the unnamed woman still recovering in hospital.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said: "In an attempt to escape the hail of bullets, the deceased drove his vehicle into the yard. He unfortunately succumbed to his injuries and was declared deceased on the scene. The female passenger sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. She remains hospitalised."
A record-breaking career
Tete grew up in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape and began boxing at the age of eight. He had more than 400 amateur bouts before turning professional in 2006.
He won the IBF super-flyweight world title in 2014 before defending it by stopping Britain's Paul Butler in Liverpool the following year. He later moved up and held the WBO bantamweight crown between 2017 and 2019.
Fastest knockout in a world-title fight
His most famous moment came in Belfast in November 2017, when he knocked out Siboniso Gonya with his first punch. The fight was stopped after just 11 seconds, the fastest knockout recorded in a world-title contest.
Tete finished with a professional record of 29 wins, four defeats and one no contest, with 22 victories by knockout. His final bout was against Britain's Jason Cunningham at Wembley Arena in 2022. Tete won by knockout, but the result was later overturned after he tested positive for stanozolol and received a four-year ban.
South African sports broadcaster Thabiso Mosia posted on X: "What a tragedy! Rest in peace Champ. #RIPZolaniTete".
