It is either a blossoming music career or boxing for Makazole "Professor" Tete - warns boxing manager Mlandeli Tengimfene, who is in charge of Zolani Tete.

Makazole, who is Zolani's brother, takes on youngster Ronald "King" Malindi for the ABU Africa bantamweight vacant title at Orient Theatre on Sunday.

Tengimfene, who has done wonders with Zolani, said: "Makazole is caught up in three things - he is into choral music and is a conductor and has his own choir (Zolani is part of it). He is doing well and he is studying music at Fort Hare University. He also wants to box and he cannot balance all this.

"He spends 70% of his time with his choir and only 30% in boxing. Makazole is also a conductor of choral music at a local university. Zolani is able to balance music and boxing - hence his success."

Added Tengimfene: "Look, it's not only about this issue of embarrassment which reflects on me when he losses fights because he does not prepare well, it is also about his life. I told him that he cannot die on stage during his music but he can die inside a boxing ring if he goes into a boxing match half-prepared."

Tengimfene said he did everything that he could possibly do to assist Makazole going into the fight on Sunday, and that includes taking him to camp for eight weeks.

"For the first time Makazole will make the weight without any struggle. I doubt though he will lose this fight because he is super-fit."

Makazole has won several regional titles and has 17 wins in 22 fights while Malindi - the current SA and ABU SADC champion, who is trained by Bernie Pailman in Westbury in Johannesburg, is undefeated after 14 fights.

The bout will be part of Last Born Promotions headlined by an IBO mini flyweight championship between Simpiwe Konkco and Joey Canoy.