By Monwabisi Jimlongo
For all the world titles that he has won in his professional boxing career, there’s still something that is missing in Hekkie ‘Hexecutioner’ Budler’s belt collection.
South Africa’s most successful boxer is now aiming higher as he’s working towards recording yet another victory. Budler is gearing himself up for his keep-busy fight at the UNISA Conference Centre in Johannesburg on Saturday, 6 May.
This fight takes place 12 days before the erstwhile World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight champion clocks 35 years. Budler has won world titles in the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organisation (IBO).
“I cannot overlook any opponent. Whoever is there I’m gonna fight. Preparations are going very well. I have been training very hard,” Budler, who is the second South African boxer to hold a Ring Magazine belt, remarked.
Trained by Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan, Budler is going to use his next bout to prepare for his fight against reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) and WBA junior-flyweight champion Kenshiro ‘The Amazing’ Teraji from Japan later this year. The 31-year-old Teraji stopped American boxer Anthony Olascuaga in Tokyo, Japan, more than a week ago.
“Kenshiro is definitely next after my upcoming fight. I want to become a WBC world champion. South Africa has not had a WBC champion in a long time. I think Dingaan Thobela was the last South African to win a WBC title,” Budler said.
“Zolani Tete was also the last South African to win a WBO world title. Winning the WBC and WBO titles would mean that I’m the only South African boxer to have won titles in all the major world bodies.”
Budler, who has not fought since he defeated Mexican boxer Elwin Soto in a WBC junior-flyweight elimination bout in Mexico in June last year, has registered 34 victories with 10 knockouts and four defeats.
