Hekkie ‘Hexecutioner’ Budler’s chances of fighting for the World Boxing Council (WBC) junior-flyweight title have been boosted after he was approved to fight in an elimination bout.
Budler, who won the WBC Silver junior-flyweight title when he defeated Filipino boxer Jonathan Almacen in May last year, is scheduled to face off with Mexican Elwin ‘La Pulga’ Soto in a WBC title eliminator in Mexico City, Mexico, on Saturday, 25 June (Sunday, 26 June, South African time).
The 33-year-old Budler is rated number one by the WBC while 25-year-old Soto, a former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior-flyweight titlist, is third.
Budler is a six-time world champion having won the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-flyweight title twice, IBO minimumweight, World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight, International Boxing Federation (IBF) and WBA junior-flyweight championships.
Meanwhile, the WBC junior-flyweight title is held by 30-year-old Japanese boxer Kenshiro ‘The Amazing Boy’ Teraji.
Teraji reclaimed the title by a third round stoppage of his compatriot Masamichi Yabuki in a rematch in March. He avenged the 10th round loss he suffered to Yabuki, 29, in September last year.
