‘ Hexecutioner ’ will fight to remain king of the hill
HEKKIE Budler’s fight against Colombian Karluis Diaz goes far beyond defending his miniflyweight titles.
This fight is about solidifying Budler’s position as the best fighter in South Africa, according to Colin “Nomakanjani ” Nathan.
The ‘‘ Hexecutioner ”, as the tiny dual world champion from Newlands, Johannesburg, is known, will face Diaz in the Golden Gloves African Explosion bill at Emperors Palace on February 15.
Nathan, who has honed Budler’s skill from the end of his amateur career, when he chalked up 140 wins from 150 fights, said there is no question that his charge is the busiest, most popular and highest ranked fighter from South Africa in the world.
“We are looking forward to putting on a spectacular and awesome display. We must solidify our position as the best fighter in South Africa,” he said.
“Hekkie is currently the best mini-flyweight in the world. I don’t believe he has reached his full potential or his peak.
“I think he is going to get better and better.”
Budler, 25, is rated number one by Fightnews.Com, and number two by Ring Magazine, widely regarded as the boxing bible.
Nathan said International Boxing Federation champion Katsunari Takayama contacted Budler on social networking site Facebook. The Japanese boxer asked him for a unification bout.
“All of a sudden, Hekkie is becoming hot property. The irony is that earlier efforts to secure a bout against Takayama were rebuffed. But then again, Budler was not a dual world champion.
“If the deal through Rodney Berman goes well, we will fight.
“Hekkie can fight anyone now.
We must solidify our position as the best fighter in South Africa
But first things first, Diaz is the man we are aiming at, for now.”
Budler’s International Boxing Organisation (IBO) strap will be on the line for the fifth time, but he will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) belt for the first time after recently winning it.
He was the interim champion until Riyo Miyazaki vacated the spot and moved up a weight division.
The WBA then elevated Budler’s status, making him the boxing body’s second champion from South Africa.
Simpiwe V12” Vetyeka is the
‘‘ first, having won the more superior WBA Super title after ending the reign of Indonesian boxing icon Chris John with a stoppage in the sixth round in Australia last month.
Budler and Vetyeka join a list of legendary fighters who have won WBA belts in different weight categories.
Included in the list is Peter ‘‘ Terror ” Mathebula, Gerrie ‘‘ Bionic Hand” Coetzee, Piet Crous, Brian ‘‘ Mean Machine or Road Warrior” Mitchell and Dingaan ‘‘ The Rose of Soweto” Thobela.
Budler – the former IBO AllAfrica and IBO junior-flyweight champion – has 24 wins and 7 KOs against a loss to Gideon “Hardcore” Buthelezi for the IBO junior-flyweight strap at Emperors Palace on January 11 2011.
He moved a weight down to the mini-flyweight class, where he won the IBO belt on September 24 2011.
In his fourth defence against Hugo Hernan Verchelli at Emperors Palace last November, promoter Rodney Berman convinced the WBA to add the interim belt as an incentive.
Budler stopped the Argentinian in the fourth round at the Palace of Dreams near OR Tambo International Airport. The rest is history.