Double world champion survives onslaught from challenger
Hekkie Budler managed to retain his double status as the WBA and IBO minimumweight world title holder.
A COURAGEOUS performance by Ring Magazine’s number one world contender in the minimumweight division is not explanatory of how deep Hekkie Budler had to dig to retain his world title belts at the Uncivil War boxing tournament on Saturday, September 19.
Budler managed to retain his double status as the WBA and IBO minimumweight world title holder when he scored a unanimous points decision by the judges against his challenger, Simphiwe Khonco. The scorecards read 117/111, 115/113 and 116/112 in Budler’s favour.
The Uncivil War boxing tournament took place at Emperors Palace and was presented by Golden Gloves Promotions.
History has it that the Eastern Cape boxers have a never die attitude, but Khonco had even more. He came out firing at Budler, one of the most respected boxers in the world, in an excellent display of his skills. Budler just had too much in his engine to give his titles away on a plate.
In the second round Budler was cut above his left eye and at stages Khonco was pounding on the left to unsettle the champion. But this only served as an inspiration for Budler to keep his focus and in turn he gave Khonco a boxing lesson in the seventh round with an array of blows to the body and face.
Both boxers had the spectators on their feet and a call for a rematch was at stake, but Budler already has a mandatory fight scheduled.
In the undercard of the evening Paul Kamanga was tested to the full by another Southerner, Jason Bedeman. Though Kamanga extended his record to 16 wins and nine KOs, he had to battle it out with a well composed Bedeman. He won the welterweight bout scheduled over 10 rounds with a unanimous 99/91, 99/91 and 100/90 points decision by the judges.
Kamanga proved once again to be too strong for his opponent, but Bedeman was no pushover in a fight that also had the crowd spurring on their favourite boxer.
Ryno Liebenberg overpowered a lackluster Makhosonke Zwengu in the second round of the South African vacant light heavyweight title fight to win by KO 2:06.
The fourth bout of the evening saw Thomson Mokwana from the South taking on Roman Zhailoauv from Khazakstan also winning on a split 77/78, 77/75 and 77/75 decision by the judges. Zhailoauv suffered his first defeat in 16 matches.
