I made it hard for myself early on, admits ‘Hexecutioner’

HEKKIE BUDLER is planning to make a single defence of the IBO junior flyweight title he won at the weekend, before challenging for one of the major titles in the division.

Speaking after their eighth round TKO victory over Filipino Joey Canoy at Emperor’s Palace on Saturday night, trainer Colin Nathan said they were dreaming big now.

“I believe Hekkie can win another title. So, we want to defend this one once and then try and go for one of the big four titles.”

Going for the big four (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) will mean the “Hexecutioner” stepping up in the class of opposition as compared to what he faced on Saturday.

Canoy, fighting outside his country for the first time, was making his world championship debut and it showed.

It was not surprising that the South African reigned supreme, Canoy failing to answer the bell for the beginning of the eighth round after being pummelled in the preceding round.

That it took so long was because Budler used the wrong tactics early on.

“Hekkie kept the fight at range in the first four rounds and that made things difficult for him, but then he got it right,” Nathan explained.

His charge agreed: “I made it hard for myself early on and he somewhat dominated. But Colin told me to stick to him and from the fifth round I started hitting him. I hope it was a good fight for the fans.”

They were chanting his name in the seventh when he sent Canoy down on to the canvas, the Filipino claiming he had been pushed, but the referee ruling it a knockdown. The third man in the ring was proven right when Canoy remained in his corner at the start of the eighth.

It was a similar victory for Kevin Lerena in the main bout when his adversary Vikapita Meroro quit 56 seconds into the fifth round of their Catchweight clash.