Golden Gloves

South Africa’s miniature Titan, Hekkie “The Hex-ecutioner” Budler (16-0, with 5 knockouts) will be rewarded for his superb IBO world junior flyweight title defence against Juanito Rubillar at Emperors Palace last weekend by featuring on a Banner /Golden Gloves Promotional bill in Laredo, Texas on August 14. The pint-sized Budler, with passion and determination accompanying his every move, proved conclusively that he’s a better fighter than the southpaw Rubillar and this despite the weird scoring of one appointed foreign judge who had the rugged Filipino one point ahead at the end of 12 exciting rounds.

That Budler deserves the opportunity (his second to date) of landing a place on a televized American fight card is certain and don’t forget that all too often the diminutive West Rand fighter has had to play second fiddle in terms of marketing projections. “Hekkie’s biggest problem to date has been his size” said man-about-boxing Jeff Ellis. “Fight fans appreciate a talented junior flyweight it’s true, but lets be honest even the irrepressible Baby Jake Matlala was no box-office wonder and for most of his career had to be co-marketed with other more vigourous performers, most of whom were harder hitters and much heavier in terms of poundage”.

Golden Gloves Promoter Rodney Berman, however, sees Budler becoming one of the rarest fighters at his weight ever to be produced in South Africa. “How many local junior flyweight go 15-0 ?” asked Berman, “and those that have were seldom as exciting or indefatigable as the Python-loving Hekkie”

Indubitably the affable Budler has shown a remarkable maturity for his age (22) and Berman believes that he could become a huge crowd puller in Laredo, Texas, which is situated within easy reach of both American and Mexican fight lovers. “Funnily enough it’s the Mexicans who show a decided preference for the little guys and I feel that with Budler’s all-action, dare-devil style, he could really set the fistic scene ablaze when he climbs through the ropes on August 14″.

The majority of local sceptics who questioned the scoring of the first Budler/Rubillar fight, which the South African won by virtue of a majority decision, were unanimous in their praise of Budler and one scribe even phoned this writer to apologise for his negative comments after the first bout. “Hekkie has really come of age” said former fight writer Paul Hetz, “and I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes on to great heights in his weight division”.
Former two-time Hall of Famer Brian Mitchell believed that Rubillar may have ‘nicked’ the first fight but on Sunday afternoon he had no reservations praising Budler’s performance. “The little guy is a regular whirlwind

or as one ringside patron said ‘a tornado with boxing gloves’. I wasn’t completely convinced before but I now reckon that Hekkie is unquestionably one of South Africa’s brightest young ring stars”.