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With 2016 upon us, Hekkie “The Hexecutioner” Budler has promised his fans an early present – winning Ring magazine’s minimumweight championship belt and mounting a challenge for the World Boxing Council (WBC) title.
Budler, arguably the hottest boxer in the country, has made a name for himself by snatching the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA) crowns.
This makes him an icon in the sense that he is ranked number one in the division as the WBA champion by Ring, an influential magazine regarded as “the bible of boxing”.
The championship is currently vacant in the magazine’s weight class. This means the 27-year-old Johannesburg boxer has to fight any of the top three contenders on the rung behind him before he can be regarded as the undisputed king.
The men on that list hold International Boxing Federation, WBC and World Boxing Organisation crowns. They are, respectively, Katsunari Takayama (Japan), Wanheng Menayothin (Thailand) and Kosei Tanaka (Japan).
“As matters stand, I can fight any of these champions for the belt,” said Budler. “If I win it, I will be considered an undisputed world champion by virtue of holding three crowns.
“This will be an apt gift for my fans this year, as this will also afford me an opportunity to challenge for the WBC crown.”
The Hexecutioner said that in the event of him adding the Ring to his collection, he would unify all his crowns to have a shot at Menayothin’s WBC title.
“I am itching for that fight. I believe the champion does not want to fight out of his native country,” said Budler.
“The Thai promoters are actually demanding more than R1 million upfront if I am to travel to Thailand to fight in the champion’s back yard.”
He said he was prepared to go and wrest the crown from the title holder, adding he would do anything possible to ensure the match-up materialised.
“Becoming the WBC title holder will be the defining moment of my boxing career this year, and this will bode very well for my fans.”
No South African boxer has been crowned the undisputed world champion and it would put the Hexecutioner in a class of his own.
The country has also not produced any WBC king in the past 15 years. Thulani “Sugarboy” Malinga was Mzansi’s first fighter to have this elite belt strapped around his waist, in 1996. He beat Englishman Nigel “Dark Destroyer” Benn by split-points decision in their super middleweight clash in Newcastle, England.
Dingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela was the country’s last fighter to snatch the WBC championship. He knocked out Englishman Glenn Catley in the 12th round at Carnival City in Brakpan, Ekurhuleni, in 2000.
Budler lifted the then vacant IBO championship by beating Michael Landero on points at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park in 2011.
He went on to win the then vacant WBA mantle in March 2014 by poleaxing Colombian Karluis Diaz in the first round at the same venue. Budler also scored a unanimous points-decision victory over Simphiwe Khonco in defence of his honours at Emperors Palace in September.
The 27-year-old Johannesburg pugilist may be on the brink of showing the world the best boxer in his division plies his trade on these shores. Let’s hope 2016 will be his big year.
