British boxer Jason Cunningham, who is a former European champ at super-bantamweight, is asking some serious questions now that it has come to light how former WBO bantamweight champ Zolani Tete is the latest big name fighter to fail a drugs test. It was revealed last week how South Africa’s Tete tested positive for the illegal anabolic steroid stanozolol, and now fighters like Cunningham are wondering if Tete was guilty of having taken something before their fight with the 34 year old.
Cunningham, who was quite brutally knocked out by Tete earlier this year, this in a Commonwealth, IBF international, and WBO international title bout, has spoken with the Doncaster Free Press, and “The Iceman,” as Cunningham is known, has asked a very powerful questions: “What if I died?”
Indeed, it was a nasty KO Cunningham suffered, and he, and many others, will now forever be wondering if he was beaten in a fair fight. Not only that, but what if Cunningham had suffered serious, permanent injury?
“I had never been knocked unconscious in my life. What if it had been worse? Fatalities have happened before, what if I died? I have got a four-week old baby,” Cunningham said. “I need answers. I deserve answers. Who knew (Tete was taking something illegal)? How long have they known?”
Thus far, Tete is denying any wrongdoing, coming out with, via his manager, that all too familiar line, “I have no idea how this got into my system.” The results of Tete’s B sample are yet to made public. Yet, as we know, rarely if ever is a B sample any different to a fighter’s A sample.
Cunningham, 30-6(6), who was hospitalised after the knockout loss, said after the fight that he had never before felt power like that with which Tete hit him. Now, Cunningham’s trainer, former pro Stefy Bull says he wants the result of the fight to be changed to a no contest if Tete’s guilt is 100 percent proven. However, as far as Cunningham’s career is concerned, Bull has doubts over what his fighter’s punch resistance will be like after suffering such a devastating KO.
It could be that Tete ended 33 year old Cunningham’s hugely promising chances of reaching the very top of the sport.