The calm before the storm for Siyabonga Siyo and Hekkie Budler.
Now into his ninth year as a pro boxer, Hekkie Budler has learned to accept many of the truths of the fight game.
One of them is that winning and losing are immutable facts. He may have run up a 12-fight winning streak, but his last fight is a blot on his record for he lost a 12-round decision to Byron Rojas. It wasn’t the end of his world, but it brought his sharp rise to a shuddering halt. Continue reading
Rodney Berman wasn’t to know it at the time, but the three-round tear-up between Charlie Weir and Bushy Bester 39 years ago today was the beginning of a love affair that would endure for decades.
It was also the beginning of Golden Gloves, a business dynasty that has gone from strength to strength. Continue reading
A line-up of former and current champions at Thursday’s open workout ahead of ‘Southpaw Showdown’.
An array of top fighters stepped into the light at SuperSport on Thursday afternoon for the launch of “Southpaw Showdown”, taking place at Emperors Palace on October 22.
It was a Who’s Who of SA boxing as the like of Welcome Ncita, Dingaan Thobela, Brian Mitchell, Sebastiaan Rothmann, Harold Volbrecht and Pierre Coetzer mingled with modern-day fighters like Simphiwe Konkco, Hekkie Budler and Kevin Lerena. Continue reading
Gennady Golovkin going through his paces at Big Bear yesterday. Photos: Courtesy/Michael Sterling Eaton, Neo Nostalgia
Boxing’s two best pound-for-pound fighters and two of the sport’s biggest stars, unified middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, (35-0, 32KO’s) and WBC flyweight champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (45-0, 38 KO’s), hosted joint media workouts yesterday from their training camps at the The Summit high altitude training facility in Big Bear Lake, California. Continue reading
The line–up for October 22’s “Southpaw Showdown” at Emperors Palace is an open secret, but it will nonetheless be confirmed at a media workout taking place at SuperSport in Randburg tomorrow.
The majority of the boxers will be in attendance, including Hekkie Budler, Siyabonga Siyo, Kevin Lerena, Nyelisani Thagambege and DeeJay Kriel. Continue reading
Siyabonga Siyo – planning a massive upset of Hekkie Budler. Pic: Nick Lourens
He’s quietly carving out a name for himself as one of South Africa’s most astute trainers.
Come October, Welcome Ncita hopes to announce himself when his little fighter, Siyabonga Siyo, challenges Hekkie Budler for the WBA Pan-Africa title at Emperors Palace. Continue reading
Pic: Courtesy Hasanboy Dusmatov.
In an enormous coup, Golden Gloves has signed Rio Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov to a promotional contract.
The Uzbek won the gold medal in the light-flyweight division earlier in the week and was so dominant at the Games that he is in line for the Val Barker trophy, awarded to the best boxer overall. Continue reading
Ryno Liebenberg – being puished back into contention by Golden Gloves. Pic: Nick Lourens
SuperSport HQ could be a lively place next week when Kevin Lerena and Ryno Liebenberg spar ahead of the “Super Four” final in October.
Both have different assignments – Lerena fights Micki Nielsen and Liebenberg travels to box Enrico Kölling of Germany – but there is bound to be a fair bit of needle at the media workout. Continue reading
The famous skull and crossbones of Orlando Pirates could illuminate Emperors Palace on October 22 when the final of the “Super Four” takes place.
Promoter Rodney Berman, who has enjoyed a long-standing friendship with soccer kingpin Irvin Khoza, the owner of Pirates, has extended an invitation to the whole squad to attend. Continue reading
DeeJay Kriel eats a vicious right hand against Nyelisani Thagambega. Pic: Courtesy Nick Lourens
In a fight that might well be called “Unfinished Business”, DeeJay Kriel and Nyelisani Thagambega will square off for a return match at Emperors Palace in October. Continue reading
Chris van Heerden, here with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, steps back into a SA ring on October 22. Pic courtesy @TheHeat001
It will be a battle of southpaws when Chris van Heerden fights at Emperors Palace on October 22 after Golden Gloves secured the signature of Sacky Shikukutu of Namibia as his opponent.
It will be Van Heerden’s first fight in South Africa in over three years, having fought out of the American East coast in the interim. Continue reading
Siyabonga Siyo, right, here mixing it with Simphiwe Konkco, will fight Hekkie Budler on October 22. Pic: N-SQUARED
Two of South Africa’s best little men will do battle at Emperors Palace on October 22.
Former world champion Hekkie Budler will fight local rival Siyabonga Siyo, a recent world title challenge, on the undercard of the “Super Four” event. Continue reading
Chris van Heerden . . . looking for a fight.
Is Chris van Heerden too good for his own good?
It’s a fair question to be asked after Rodney Berman was spotted earlier this week tearing his hair out. Continue reading
