Golden Gloves

Former four-time world champion Baby Jake Matlala believes that IBO Africa junior flyweight champion Hekkie “The Hex-ecutioner” Budler has the makings of a future ring great.

“This kid has an unbelievable work ethic and possesses incredible dedication and discipline and I’m confident that he’ll go on to win the IBO world title on February 27 at Emperors Palace” said the legendary Soweto ring icon, whose been assisting Budler in his preparations for the fight.

Budler, who will be challenging the highly experienced Filipino Juanito Rubillar for the vacant IBO world junior flyweight crown, has also impressed Matlala – who once campaigned in the same weight division as the 21-year-old Budler – with his relentless body punching. “Goodness..this guy really tosses leather at twenty-to-the-dozen and it will take a really great fighter to beat him on the night”.

Matlala concluded by saying; “If Hekkie wins this fight, I see no reason why he cannot become one of the most successful South african fighters of the era, as well as a future ring legend”

“Listening to what Matlala said is certainly heart-warming” said Golden Gloves Promoter Rodney Berman, “and while you can never take anything for granted in this game, it’s nice to kinow that Hekkie has been performing so well in his pre-fight training camp”.
Berman’s GGP outfit is co-promoting the PRELUDE bill on February 27 with Banner Promotions in America, and revealed that Banner braintrust Art Pellulo was especially delighted by reports of Budler’s progress. “Art has always been highly impressed by Hekkie’s level of commitment and punch-rate and while he fosters great respect for Juanito Rubillar, whose undoubtedly one of the trickiest southpaws in the business, I happen to know that he feels Budler is more than capable of posting an upset.”
The PRELUDE tournament is clearly one of the most exciting spectacles ever to be held at Emperors Palace, what with four championship bouts on the roster as well as the most expensive four-round contest in the history of SA boxing. Meanwhile, a number of pundits have gone as record as saying that Budler’s forthcoming title contest could be a “bridge too far” at this point in time. Not that the diminutive South African’s trainer Colin Nathan has any regrets regarding the fight. “Hekkie has been literally brilliant in the gymnasium and besides his awesome work rate, we’ve shortened his right cross and formulated a match-winning combination that Rubillar will find very difficult to negate” said Nathan.

Promoter Berman had the final word. “I would like to stress the fact that the February blockbuster has elicited tremendous response  in terms of bookings, and urge fight fans to obtain their ticket requests sooner rather than later in order not to be disappointed”.