Zolani "Last Born" Tete says his defence of the IBF junior bantamweight title against Paul Butler in the United Kingdom on March 6 is not just a title fight.
Tete said the match has become personal for him.
"This is the fight which will turn my mother's life around for the better. I'm fighting to raise money to buy her a prosthetic leg," the champion revealed.
Tete said his 59-year-old mother, Nomonde, lost her leg to diabetes two years ago and was in a wheelchair.
"Our father Zolile is an assistant trainer in our gym. So when myself, my brother Makazole [SA, WBA Pan African and IBO International flyweight champion] and our father go to the gym, we leave her alone in the house and sometimes she struggles to get to the toilet," Tete said.
"We thought she was coping but she isn't. So, I took it upon myself to get her a prosthetic leg. I will buy it after my fight with Butler."
Tete - a former WBF undefeated flyweight champion - will make the first defence of his IBF title since winning it on July 18 when he outpointed previously undefeated Japanese Teiru Kinoshita in Japan.
Butler and Tete were due to fight on October 25 but Tete broke his left hand - forcing the fight to be postponed. Tete's promoter, Branco Milenkovic, is understood to have convinced the IBF's championship committee to give his charge time to heal.
Boxing champ steps in the ring for mom
Zolani "Last Born" Tete says his defence of the IBF junior bantamweight title against Paul Butler in the United Kingdom on March 6 is not just a title fight.
Tete said the match has become personal for him.
"This is the fight which will turn my mother's life around for the better. I'm fighting to raise money to buy her a prosthetic leg," the champion revealed.
Tete said his 59-year-old mother, Nomonde, lost her leg to diabetes two years ago and was in a wheelchair.
"Our father Zolile is an assistant trainer in our gym. So when myself, my brother Makazole [SA, WBA Pan African and IBO International flyweight champion] and our father go to the gym, we leave her alone in the house and sometimes she struggles to get to the toilet," Tete said.
"We thought she was coping but she isn't. So, I took it upon myself to get her a prosthetic leg. I will buy it after my fight with Butler."
Tete - a former WBF undefeated flyweight champion - will make the first defence of his IBF title since winning it on July 18 when he outpointed previously undefeated Japanese Teiru Kinoshita in Japan.
Butler and Tete were due to fight on October 25 but Tete broke his left hand - forcing the fight to be postponed. Tete's promoter, Branco Milenkovic, is understood to have convinced the IBF's championship committee to give his charge time to heal.
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