It has been reported that former South African and multiple world champion Zolani Marali passed away on Friday after an incident in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. 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. He also 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 title, 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 of 24-6; 13, with the losses coming against some of the best fighters around at the time and claiming a South African and five minor world belts.