By Ron Jackson
It has been reported that former South African and multiple world champion Zolani Marali passed away yesterday after an incident in the Eastern Cape. He was 44.
Born on 5 May 1977 in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape he was an outstanding amateur and won the flyweight title at the 1999 South African championships and won a bronze medal at the All-Africa Games in the flyweight class.
Zolani made his pro debut on 25 February 2001 at the Mdantsane Indoor Centre winning on a sixth-round technical knockout over Andile Sota (7-7-4).
He won his next eight fights inside the distance before challenging Oupa Lubisi for the South African junior featherweight title at the Graceland Hotel and Casino in Secunda on 15 November 2002, winning on a unanimous 12 round points decision with scores of 117-113, 116-112 and 114-113.
Fighting from the southpaw stance Zolani made successful defences of the South African title against Vuyani Phulo (tko 8), Koos Sibiya (ko 2) and Bonani Hlwatika (pts 12) before challenging Thomas Mashaba for the IBO junior featherweight belt, losing on an eighth-round retirement.
Returning to action he went on to make successful defences of the South African title against Bonani Hlawatika (pts 12), Koos Sibiya (ko 2) and Vuyani Phulo (tko 8) before winning the vacant World Boxing Foundation junior featherweight belt in Durban on 8 September 2006 against Jean Marie Codet from France on points over 12 rounds.
He would make one successful defence of the belt before travelling to Australia to meet Billy Dib on 30 July 2008 in a clash for the vacant IBO junior lightweight belt losing on points over 12 rounds.
However, in his next fight he won the vacant IBO junior lightweight belt on a 12-round points decision against Gamaliel Diaz only to lose it in his next fight against Ji Hoon Kim who stopped him in the ninth round.
After losing to Mlungisi Dlamini (ko 4) and winning against Kgotla Baeti (sd 10) Zolani moved up to junior welterweight and lost against Ali Funeka on a split decision in a clash for the vacant WBF belt.
However, in a return match on 8 December 2012 he won on a unanimous point’s decision against Funeka to take the WBF belt.
He then made successful defences of the belt against Mzolisi Yoyo and Kaizer Mabuza before meeting Julius Indongo in Windhoek on 3 October 2015 in a clash for the WBO Africa junior welterweight title but was well beaten over 12 rounds with scores of 120-108 on two scorecards and 117-111.
This was his last fight as he finished with a record 24-6, 13 KOs, with the losses coming against some of the best fighters around at the time and claiming a South African and five minor world belts.
South Africa – a lawless, crime-infested hell-hole where the police prefer to look the other way while criminals act with impunity. What a rainbow nation. Then again, with a criminal enterprise governing the country what can you expect.
RIP champ! It’s interesting that one of the complaìddßTerrence Crawford’s attorneys are attacking Arum in their lawsuit because Arum promoted shows in South Africa during the 70’s & 80’s. Big deal, Johannesburg was a beautiful city then, now it’s the murder & rape capital of the world!
what does this have to do with this Mr Zolani Morali Passing away?
Everything. If there was law & order and proper policing there is every chance Mr Marali would be alive today. Jo’burg is just an example of the degeneration. Get your head out of the sand.
He was robbed in the fight with Billy Dib. Terrible judging and bias hometown refereeing.
Really ? Care to elaborate ?
Sure. Fight-wise it was a clear win to Marali after 12 rounds. However, after 14 years what really sticks in my mind was the refereeing. Dib had been knocked down and hurt badly. On the verge of being knocked out, the referee stopped the action and took Dib to his corner to retape his gloves. He survived the round but was totally out on his feet. Then, Dib comes out for the next round with a large amount of tape hanging from BOTH gloves – I’m talking a comical amount of tape. Instead of a point deduction for the obvious cheating, Dib gets another long break as the corner has to retape his gloves.
It was a Mundine undercard in Newcastle and Dib was the A side. They could get away with whatever they wanted.
Not sure the link I posted will work so here’s an exert:
By Tony Krebs “In perhaps the worst decision I’ve ever witnessed, undefeated Australian featherweight contender Billy Dib (21-0, 11 KOs) defeated South African Zolani Marali (19-2, 13 KOs) by a controversial 12-round unanimous decision on Wednesday night to win the vacant IBO super featherweight title at the Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, in New South Wales, Australia. However, Dib, 22, appeared to win only three of the rounds, and in two of them, it very well could have gone to Marali. Dib was knocked down in the 3rd round, getting nailed by a left hand from Marali.”
Rest In Peace Champ, may God comfort your family and loved ones…
Should you not be asking for law and order?
Used to spar with guy in the gym he had a very tremendous skill hard to beat n had a ring iQ,he inspired everyone around him with his hardwork n we r sadly troubled by his loss may his soul rest in peace
Shot dead, murdered at his flat in Johannesburg. Very sad. RIP Zolani. South Africa as a country since it’s ‘liberators’ took over has just been failing worse and worse every year.
Exactly. The ANC is abusing and oppressing Black people with their special brand of corruption and incompetence. Yet the international community is strangely silent when Black oppresses Black. Sad, because it then becomes the norm. South Africa, is one of the great tragedies of modern times.