Award-winning boxing trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan is exceptionally happy after the World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered Kenshiro Teraji to defend against his boxer Hekkie ‘Hexecutioner’ Budler.
The Japanese stopped his compatriot Hiroto Kyoguchi in the seventh round to unify his WBC and World Boxing Association (WBA) junior-flyweight titles in Saitama, Japan, last week.
Now it’s multiple title-winning Budler, who gets a shot at Teraji’s WBC crown. Budler occupied the mandatory challenger position after he defeated Mexican Elwin Soto in an elimination bout in Mexicali, Mexico, in June this year.
Initially, the 2017 and 2018 Trainer of the Year winner thought Teraji would unify against World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior-flyweight champion Jonathan Gonzalez before giving Budler a chance.
Gonzalez from Puerto Rico successfully defending his title against Japanese boxer Shokichi Iwata in Japan last week.
“I’m over the moon. I’m very happy with the WBC. We were gonna get Hekkie a warm-up fight. Now we are gonna focus on Teraji,” Nathan said.
Nathan, who is the chief trainer at Hot Box Gym in Johannesburg, believes Budler’s fight against Teraji will only take place in the second quarter of 2023.
“I’m guessing April next year. There’s a big event that happen in Japan in April,” Cape Town-born Nathan remarked.
The 34-year-old Budler, who is one of the most hard-working boxers in South Africa, is highly rated as he is third on the WBA ratings and is second on the WBO.
