Zolani Tete Faces Up To Four-Year Ban After Testing Positive For Banned Substance

[Ruthless-RKO]

Zolani Tete Faces Up To Four-Year Ban After Testing Positive For Banned Substance

What’s left of Zolani Tete’s career is in jeopardy.

According to a report published Monday by The Daily Dispatch, a South African newspaper, the former WBO bantamweight champion faces a possible four-year ban because he tested positive for a banned substance around the time of his fourth-round knockout of Jason Cunningham on July 2 at OVO Arena Wembley in London.

The performance-enhancing drug for which Tete failed his test wasn’t identified by The Daily Dispatch, but Tete’s manager, Mla Tengimfene, stated that the South African southpaw had arranged to have his “B” sample tested Tuesday.

“We are confident that this is one big mistake. Zolani has no knowledge of this and in all the years I have been with him he has never failed a dope test. It baffles me that he would do it now at the tail end of his career,” Tengimfene said to The Daily Dispatch.

If Tete’s “B” sample comes back positive for the same substance, the British Boxing Board of Control could suspend the 34-year-old contender for a maximum of four years. The BBBofC’s ban could last less than four years if Tete’s team makes a convincing argument that he didn’t knowingly use the banned substance.

Interestingly, Tete was a vocal advocate of stronger PED testing prior to his involvement in the World Boxing Super Series’ bantamweight tournament in 2018 and 2019.

Tete (30-4, 23 KOs) is enrolled in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association’s “Clean Boxing Program,” which subjects boxers ranked by the WBC to year-round testing. The WBC ranked Tete eighth among its contenders for its 122-pound champion, Stephen Fulton, in its most recent ratings.

Tete also is ranked third by the WBO and sixth by the IBF in the junior featherweight division.

The Philippines’ John Riel Casimero dropped Tete twice in the third round and stopped him to win the WBO 118-pound championship from him as part of the World Boxing Super Series in November 2019 at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England. Tete, also a former IBF junior bantamweight champion, has fought just twice in the three years since he lost the WBO bantamweight belt, but his impressive knockout of England’s Cunningham (31-7, 7 KOs) re-energized the aging veteran.

If Tete’s test results are upheld and he is suspended by the BBBofC, the result of his fight against Cunningham likely will be changed to a no-contest.

[Boxerbeetle]

But he’s a god-fearing man, impossible.

[KiwiRider]

But he’s a god-fearing man, impossible.

The BBBoC ain't God, BB

[smiling assassin]

Why does it take so long for this to come to light. Life takes bans have to come in to place to try and stop this

[Dioufy]

Did he fail before the fight?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Did he fail before the fight?

It was reported by a ZAF newspaper.

They don’t give much a. First they say it was ‘around’ that time.. then they don’t tell us the drug.

[Dioufy]

Did he fail before the fight?

It was reported by a ZAF newspaper.

They don’t give much a. First they say it was ‘around’ that time.. then they don’t tell us the drug.

It’s a UKAD test so if he failed it before he blitzed Cunny and the BBBC knew then Robert Smith should serve jail time.

And be interesting to see what FWarren says…..

Hopefully for boxing he failed it after the fight.

[Glass Joe]

Cunningham lost a few brain cells in that fight.

[Spud]

Ffs … what a ****

[a force]

Horrendous that Cunningham & Stefy Bill found out on twitter. If it’s a UKAD test heads should roll at the British Board of Control. Surely the first port of call after informing Tete is to inform the fighter he beat.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Should be public knowledge as and when there is a fail.

VADA announce them on Twitter even when there is a pass.

[Spud]

Should be public knowledge as and when there is a fail.

100% agreed

[Manchester Hitman]

Unless the B Sample is somehow clean, BrickTop needs to throw his contract in the shredder.

Cunningham, who is a great servant of British boxing was basically assaulted by an enhanced man.

[Spud]

I am totally surprised at this news.

I met Zolani in Moscow when he was doing PR for his participation in the WBSS.

What a brilliant bloke he was. He chatted to me for ages. He spoke to me how he came from humble beginnings and winning the WBSS would make him more money than he could have imagined.

I must be totally naive because I would never thought he would be a drugs cheat.

[margaret thatcher]

you need to stop being shocked that guys who are reasonably friendly might have issues in other parts of their lives

[polecateddy]

Odds of the coach not being somehow complicit must be quite low. Who is he coached by these days?

[Spud]

you need to stop being shocked that guys who are reasonably friendly might have issues in other parts of their lives

Hello pal,

I am not stupid.

I have throughout my many years been a good judge of character and my reliance on my gut feeling has seen me do ok in life.

But thank you for your kind advice

[margaret thatcher]

i just dont get why it would be shocking that a friendly guy is on peds

[Boxerbeetle]

At least they’ve requested the B sample, I suppose. Conor still hasn’t bothered, has he?

[Dioufy]

i just dont get why it would be shocking that a friendly guy is on peds

Liam Davies bangs out a natty Tete inside 6… Tete on the juice KO1 for him.

[margaret thatcher]

liam davies and bang out dont really go together, but who knows what effect titty's super juice had

[maverick23]

It was probably just contamination.

[Dioufy]

liam davies and bang out dont really go together, but who knows what effect titty's super juice had

Cunningham not said anything about this so far? I’ve seen nothing. I’d be spitting flames.

Least it makes Davies v Cunny more intriguing. One for the purists for sure.

[Coco]

It's ok folks, it was only an adverse finding

[high tower 1]

I am totally surprised at this news.

I met Zolani in Moscow when he was doing PR for his participation in the WBSS.

What a brilliant bloke he was. He chatted to me for ages. He spoke to me how he came from humble beginnings and winning the WBSS would make him more money than he could have imagined.

I must be totally naive because I would never thought he would be a drugs cheat.

I assume
Almost all the world level guys are on peds.