With a bronze medal in the 1999 All-Africa games as his biggest amateur accomplishment, Zolani Marali turned professional at twenty-three in February of 2001. An awkward southpaw with good power in both hands, from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Marali was nicknamed “untouchable” and considered to have a style probably more suited for the pro game. But in reality, he was headed for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia when he tested positive for cannabis and was kicked off the South African team. Not willing to wait another four years for the next Olympics, he decided to turn pro. From a family of five kids, Zolani was mainly raised by his single father, as his mother left the family when he was twelve. While things were not always easy, his hard-working father brought them up well and was able to send the children to school.
As a teenager, Zolani was inspired to take up boxing by his older brother Mzukisi Marali, a world class professional who challenged for the WBC 108-pound crown in 1997 and fought Peter Culshaw in 1998. When Zolani made his pro debut on February 25, 2001 at the Mdantsane Indoor Centre, stopping Andile Sota (7-7-4) in six rounds, Mzukisi was in the final stages of his own career, and had fought his penultimate bout just a week earlier. Inside eighteen months Zolani developed into one of the most promising prospects in South Africa, and beat the likes of Torina Ngqiyasa (11-2-1), Lulama Titise (11-3) and former South African national champion Xolani Ndleleni (14-3-4) on his way to a 9-0 record and a crack at the South African super bantamweight title.
On November 15, 2002 at the Graceland Hotel Casino in Secunda, Marali prevailed in a hard fight to dethrone reigning title-holder Oupa Lubisi (13-3-1) by unanimous decision. After only ten pro fights, he was already knocking on the door of the world scene.The following April, Marali stayed busy with a first round destruction of Zuko Mtyongwe (12-2-1), and not long after it was announced by promoter Rodney Berman that he would be thrown in at the deep end against Argentinean Pastor Maurin (47-5) in Carnival City. On the line would be the vacant IBO super bantamweight title, and Maurin, who had lost on points to Michael Brodie the previous year, was by far the best opponent so far for Marali. But the South African passed the test with flying colors and prevailed by unanimous decision.
Unfortunately, he lost the title already in his first defense, ten months later back in Carnival City, when compatriot Thomas “The Rock” Mashaba (14-1-4), who had taken over as South African champion, stopped him in eight rounds in something of an upset.The loss was a major setback for Marali, but, while the ride would be up and down, he had many more big nights ahead of him.
Before 2004 was out he regained the South African 122-pound title against Bonani Hlwatika (17-3-1), and, while he was not as active as he would have liked, kept winning against good opponents as he moved up in weight to secure a shot at the IBO super featherweight title in July of 2008. In Newcastle, Australia he faced Billy Dib (20-0) and floored the local man in the third round, before losing a close and controversial decision. Many felt Marali clearly deserved the victory, and after protesting the result a rematch was ordered.
Dib chose to relinquish the title rather than face Marali again, so on April 2, 2009 “Untouchable” became a two-weight champion when he widely outpointed Mexican Gamaliel Diaz (24-8-2) for the vacant title in Kempton Park, South Africa.
Five months later at the same venue, again in his first title-defense, Marali lost the IBO 130-pound title to yet another underdog, this time Ji Hoon Kim (18-5), a hard-punching South Korean nicknamed “Volcano” who was riding a ten-fight winning streak but not expected to trouble the champion. Kim stopped Marali in nine rounds of a tough fight, so when the now former two-time world champion was somehow allowed tofight Mlungisi Dlamini (20-0-1) for the vacant IBO lightweight title only six weeks later it was no surprise when he lost again, this time in the fourth round.
At this point it would have been easy to write Marali off, after two devastating defeats. But in April 2010, he revived his careerwhen he upset hot prospect Kgotla “Bang Bang” Baeti (19-1) via split decision. Suddenly he was back in the mix. Marali was looking to get a second chance to win a lightweight title, but instead he was sidelined and had to move up in weight yet again. Finally, in the fall of 2011 he secured the big fight he was looking for, against Ali Funeka (30-3-3) for the vacant WBF light welterweight title.The fight took place at the Monte Casino in Johannesburg, on a huge bill. Both boxers fought valiantly in what was a close affair, but in the end Funeka got the nod and was declared the winner by split decision.
Again believing he was wrongfully denied victory, Marali immediately called for a rematch. Negotiations started, but it would be more than a year before the two rivals finally squared off again, on December 8, 2012, at the Orient Theater in East London (S.A.). A few days after the first fight with Funeka, Zolani´s brother Mzukisi, his biggest role model and supporter, was stabbed to death, bringing the entire Marali family into turmoil and grief. His world in tatters, Zolani would not have been in a state to fight in the months that followed, but he eventually used the tragedy as his inspiration and put everything into reaching his goal of winning a third championship in his brother's honor. And win he did, taking home the WBF 140-pound title by unanimous decision after an excellent performance.
Marali was far from done. He made two successful defenses, both in East London. In September of 2013 he outboxed Mzolisi Yoyo (21-4), and in July 2014, he edged former IBF champion Kaizer Mabuza (25-11-3) by split decision. For whatever reason, a long spell of inactivity followed and Marali never lost the WBF World title in the ring. His final fight was in October 2015, losing a decision to undefeated future unified world champion (IBF & WBA) Julius Indongo (17-0) in Namibia. A former two-time South African 122-pound champion, IBO 122-pound champion, IBO 130-pound champion and WBF 140-pound champion, Zolani Marali´s final record stands at 24-6 with 13 KOs.
