‘What if I died?’: Jason Cunningham demands answers after Zolani Tete’s positive drug test

Super-bantamweight Cunningham, from Woodlands, suffered the indignity of finding out South African Zolani Tete had reportedly tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol through social media this week.

Five months ago Tete brutally knocked 'The Iceman' out cold in their fight for the Commonwealth, IBF International and WBO International belts, ending his hopes of a world title shot in the process.

Boxing’s governing body in the UK, The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), sanctioned the fight and its general secretary Robert Smith confirmed Tete is under investigation after UK Anti-Doping flagged an adverse finding.

The wait is now on for the results of Tete's B sample, with Cunningham in the dark about how long that will take and Smith unable to provide a timescale.

Cunningham said: "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."

Tete's manager, Mlandeli Tengimfene, told South African newspaper The Daily Dispatch: "We are confident this is one big mistake.

"Zolani has no knowledge of this and in all the years I have been with him he has never failed a dope test.

"It baffles me that he would do it now at the tail end of his career.”

Two-time world champion Tete allegedly tested positive shortly after his fight with Cunningham in July and could face a four-year ban from the sport.

The chances of a second sample returning a different result are small, given both are taken at the same time.

Cunningham was hospitalised following the bout.

His head bounced off the canvas after he was floored twice in quick succession before it was waved off in round four.

Afterwards he said of Tete’s power: “It was something completely different to what I’ve been in with before.”

Cunningham said: "I need answers, I deserve answers. Who knew? How long have they known?

"It's not like a Conor Benn and Eubank situation where it was stopped before anyone got hurt. I got in the ring and got hurt."

If Tete was to be found guilty of a drug offence, Cunningham's trainer Stefy Bull said the win over his fighter would be struck off and the bout declared a no contest.

But the damage could already be done.

Bull said: "That was a devastating knockout, what's his punch resistance going to be like?

"We don't know anything until we go again."

Cunningham, who vacated his European title ahead of the fight, added: "I have got titles I can't get back. My world rankings, I lost them, but I should get those back.

"But it's still a rebuild."

The 33-year-old had been in the form of his life before the brutal setback and a seven-fight winning streak saw him crowned British, European and Commonwealth champion.

Now, the future is unclear.

Bull said: “The loss put him into a dark place, he was flying high, world-rated and the number-one super-bantamweight in Europe.

"It's madness, he was in a dream position."

Cunningham said: “I have good days and bad days. Yesterday I had a really bad day and just sat at home.”