Former two-division world champion Zolani Tete has died after being shot outside his home in South Africa.
The 38-year-old boxer was killed on Friday in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, after armed attackers opened fire while he was sitting in a vehicle and waiting for the gate to his property to open.
According to officials, two suspects wearing balaclavas approached from another vehicle and fired several shots at Tete and a 27-year-old woman who was travelling with him. Tete died in the attack, while the woman was taken to hospital and remains under medical care.
The gunmen fled the scene and authorities have launched a major investigation into the killing.
South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie paid tribute to Tete as one of the country’s finest fighters and said his death represented a significant loss for South African sport.
Tete built an accomplished professional career across multiple weight divisions. He captured the IBF super-flyweight title in 2014 and later held the WBO bantamweight championship between 2017 and 2019.
He fought eight times in the United Kingdom, including a victory over Liverpool boxer Paul Butler in 2015.
One of Tete’s most memorable performances came in 2017 when he stopped Siboniso Gonya after just 11 seconds. The result earned him a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a world title bout.
His final appearance came in London in July 2022, when he initially defeated Jason Cunningham by knockout. The result was later changed to a no-contest after Tete tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol.
UK Anti-Doping subsequently imposed a four-year suspension. That ban expired on 29 July 2026, and Tete had been preparing to resume his career before his death.
His manager, Mlandeli Tengimfene, said the boxer had been training for a comeback scheduled for 29 November and described his death as devastating.
Tete finished his professional career with 29 victories from 34 contests, alongside four defeats and one no-contest.
Tributes have also come from leading figures in boxing. Japanese star Naoya Inoue remembered Tete as an outstanding fighter, while John Riel Casimero, who defeated him for the WBO bantamweight title in 2019, expressed his shock and sadness and praised his former opponent as a champion and warrior.
The World Boxing Organization also paid tribute to its former titleholder and offered condolences to his family, friends and the wider South African boxing community.