Zolani "Last Born" Tete immediately set his sights on a huge unification fight against WBA and IBF bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett after knocking out countryman Siboniso 'Tiger" Gonya in six seconds to retain his WBO belt in Belfast‚ Northern Ireland‚ on Saturday night.
Tete's vicious right hook to the jaw sent Gonya crashing to the canvas.
Referee Phil Edwards did not even bother to count but quickly waved the fight off.
He then summoned physicians to the ring‚ and they gave Gonya oxygen while he lay motionless. The official time of the stoppage was 11 seconds. But the WBO International champion from Mtubatuba in KwaZulu Natal suffered his second loss against 11 wins.
The number three contender - who was chosen by Tete for his voluntary title defense - is out of danger‚ his manager Thulani Magudulela confirmed.
"He is okay‚" he said. Tete bettered his knockout to 21 in 26 wins against three losses.
Tete's knockout was the quickest in the history of a world championship defence.
He broke the record belonging to former WBO junior featherweight champion Daniel Jimenez of Puerto Rico who swiftly dealt with Australian Harald Geier in 17 seconds back in 1994. Tete's knockout is undoubtedly going into the Guinness book of records and it is a potential candidate for Boxing SA's knockout of the year.
"I knew that Gonya was not going to last‚" said Tete from Mdantsane.
"Credit goes to my trainers (Mhikiza Myekeni and Phumzile matyhila."
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