Hekkie’s heart is in Newlands
ROOTS: BUDLER HAILS FROM UNPRETENTIOUS SUBURB
IBO title on the line for former world champion and Canoy.
There are many stigmas attached to Newlands, west of Johannesburg, and its inhabitants but there is no doubt that the humble suburb is the boxing heartbeat of the city and former world minimum-weight champion Hekkie Budler carries that flag with honour.
Budler faces Filipino fighter Joey Canoy for the vacant IBO junior-flyweight title on the Thunder & Lightning bill at Emperors Palace tonight.
The late Johnny du Plooy and fellow heavyweight Jimmy Abbott were Newlands icons and the former world kickboxing champion Shaun Moorcroft still has an amateur gym in the area.
Budler also comes from a rich boxing heritage and former world cruiserweight champion Piet Crous is distant family.
Budler was a scholar at Die Burger Hoërskool which also has a proud boxing history.
“I was shown a picture there where five pupils from the school went to the SAs and four won gold,” says Budler.
The likeable junior-lightweight said he feels comfortable at his new weight.
Also on the bill is Kevin Lerena, in an international cruiserweight contest against Namibia’s Vikapita Merora.
It is not a question if he wins, but how he wins, says promoter Rodney Berman, who has pencilled him in for a tournament in the United States in April. He literally has the world at his feet.
All-action light-heavyweight Ryno Liebenberg meets Germany’s Enrico Koelling, who agreed to a rematch after winning their previous meeting. Neutral judges will score this fight.
Young welterweight Thulani Mbenge might just steal the thunder from the other fighters when he squares up tp KwaZulu-Natal’s Ntutuko Melea.
Mbenge is being compared to the flamboyant Dingaan Thobela and this fight might be his last stepping-stone to qualify to challenge SA champion Shaun Ness.
As usual, the full house signs have gone up for this tournament.