Golden Gloves

Baby Jake and Hekkie Budler

‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’ wrote the poet, and for South Africa’s Hekkie “The Hex-ecutioner” Budler (13, 0, with 5 knockouts) the hour is close at hand. Indeed, on February 27 at Emperors Palace Casino, the diminutive Budler will be looking to emulate former world bantamweight champion Vic Toweel, by winning a world boxing title in only his 14th professional fight, when he challenges for the vacant IBO world junior flyweight championship.

Budler’s opponent on the night is crack Philippine junior flyweight warrior Juanito Rubillar, whose been slinging punches since Budler was a young teenager, and whose robust leather-encased sermons have garnered him a #7 WBC world ranking and 48 victories in 68 bouts, which translates into figures of 48-13-7. At 32-years-old, Rubillar is a southpaw with respected punching power and no less than 23 of his victories have arrived by way of knockout.

Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his idol “Baby” Jake Matlala, the fiery young Budler will nonetheless enter the ring in February as a rank outsider, and this despite his unsullified resume.
After all, the 21-year-old Budler has only been fighting professionally since July 27, and on paper has no right to be warring with such an accomplished and experienced opponent.

Golden Gloves Promoter Rodney Berman, however, believes that his smallest young champion, who currently owns the IBO Africa junior flyweight crown, will have the necessary power, stamina and fortitude to turn the trick and thereby pave the way for a crack at either the WBA or WBC world junior flyweight title on June 18, at Emperors Palace in South Africa.

“Hekkie has said all along that he wants to be another Baby Jake and his non-stop style of blistering aggression is reminiscent of Matlala during his heyday” said trainer Colin Nathan, who it’s reliably understood will be regularly consulting with the former four-time world champion in the countdown to the IBO world championship fight.

“No doubt Jake can impart much of his extensive knowledge and few boxers are better adept at fighting southpaws” said Nathan.

Certainly the tournament roster for February 27 promises to be an explosive spectacle, with triple-crown champion Tommy “Tommy Gun” Oosthuizen (9-0, 7 knockouts) looking to earn an unprecedented fourth championship inside less than 12-months when he squares up to Zambia’s John Chibuta (8-3) for the vacant WBA Intercontinental super middleweight title. Oosthuizen, whose regarded by many as the finest all-around prospect in South Africa at present, has already lifted title honours as an INO Youth world light heavyweight, IBO Youth world super middleweight and WBA Pan African super middleweight champion.

Then too, there are title bouts involving WBA Intercontinental bantamweight champion Tshifhiwa “Atomic Spider” Munyai (18-1-1) and IBO Africa lightweight kingpin Jason “Badman” Bedeman (10-1, 8 knockouts) who wage combat against Carlo Magali (The Philippines) and Bilal Mohammed (Zambia) respectively. The colourful Bedeman will have his reputation as an ‘iron man’ sorely tested, however, when he takes on Mohammed (14-3, 11 knockouts) who has a reputation as a splintering hitter. Likewise, the multi-skilled Munyai can take nothing for granted when he’s confronted by a rugged young Filipino whose ledger reads 12-5-2, with 6 knockouts). “Magali’s record is very deceptive and you can bank on him giving Munyai a terrific fight” said Promoter Rodney Berman.

Also on the bill is Kgotla “Bang Bang” Baeti (18-1), a vicious punching southpaw who has his eyes firmly set on winning a championship title during 2010. “Kgotla is another champion in waiting but untril he obtains a shot at a title he has to be kept relatively busy and as such we’ve signed him up to fight local warhorse Daniel Bothma in a slated 8-round bout” said Berman.
While Berman’s plans for the “Fistic Extravaganza” on June 18 at Emperors Palace have captured the news, he has no hesitation in dubbing the February bill a “crackerjack” affair that will be a fitting prelude to the mammoth event later in 2010.

“Remember too that our current WBC International light heavyweight champion Isaac “Golden Boy” Chilembe will be defending his title during March in the USA on a ESPN bill, and providing he wins looks set to feature on the June18 tournament which will include various boxers from the USA, Argentine, Brazil and possibly Australia, all of whose world cup football teams will be playing in and around Gauteng at the time of our blockbuster bill”.

Another inclusion on the February 27 line-up is sensational heavyweight find Flo “The Demolition Man” Simba (2-0) who’ll be fighting Devi Jose over a scheduled 4 rounds.