budler finaly a superchampion

A NEW era dawned on South African boxing this week when the WBA championship committee finally agreed to elevate the status of world champion Hekkie “Hexecutioner ” Budler to superchampion.

This followed pleas from promoter Rodney Berman, who went to the WBA Convention in Panama in December.

There, the promoter requested that Budler be considered for their highest recognition.

The WBA, one of the four major sanctioning bodies alongside the WBC, IBF and WBO, awards super championship status to those who have made five defences of regular WBA titles, a feat Budler had already achieved.

A fighter ’ s promoter has to apply to the championship committee for his boxer to be considered.

The WBA then wrote to Berman on Thursday informing him about the decision to elevate his boxer.

Budler, from Newlands in Johannesburg, is trained in Glenhazel by top mentor Colin Nathan.

He won the Interim WBA title with a technical knockout against Hugo Verchelli at Emperors Palace in 2013. He was awarded the regular WBA belt after knocking out Karluis Diaz in Kempton Park in March the following year. According to a delighted Berman: “I received a call from WBA president Gilberto Mendoza Junior on Wednesday night, informing me that he had made a decision to elevate the status of Hekkie.

“This is the biggest endorsement in boxing.”

The announcement coincided with another by Berman that Budler would defend the title against Byron Rojas of Nicaragua in the main bout of the “Supercharged ” tournament at Emperors Palace on March 19.

“Mendoza will be at ringside to present the Super belt to Budler before his fight.”

That belt will be Budler ’ s fifth, having won the IBO All-Africa and world junior-flyweight titles, and the IBO minimum weight belt, he still holds after nine defences.

Budler said: “’I m very proud and honoured, What can I say? ”

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