Budler always showed his true colours for Rainbow Nation

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Dying his hair in rainbow colours when he was fighting was a sign of how much he loved SA, said boxing commentator and fitness trainer Hekkie Budler on Thursday.

The accomplished fighter in the history of SA boxing is lacking that special status despite his genuine love for his country.

The little big man, who was known by his fierce ring moniker “Hexecutioner”, is not troubled by that. Instead, he wishes to be remembered as someone who did not cut corners. “I always gave my all,” said the former two-weight division world champion who retired in March 2024.

Budler’s illustrious career began with a first-round stoppage of Michael Sediane in 2007. And it actually ended in 2023, on this day − September 18 − after a ninth-round stoppage defeat by Kenshiro Teraji for the WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring junior flyweight titles in Japan.

That was Budler’s fifth defeat, his only second stoppage loss against 35 victories, with 11 by the short route.

Trained and managed by Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan, who was assisted by Vusi Mtolo, Budler, said: “I did not want to stop but my trainer-manager Colin Nathan said he does not want me to continue fighting.

“I always told my wife that when Colin decides on something, that’s it, I will listen to him. I trusted him with my life. Who else would know his fighter better than the trainer?”

He said he had gone to see Nathan at his gym when he made the announcement. “He closed the door and told me: ‘That’s it.’ I called my wife ... she cried, and we called it quit.”

Budler was promoted by Golden Gloves of Rodney Berman, who featured the whirlwind fighter three times in his events in Monaco.

Married with one daughter, the 38-year-old Budler from Newlands, west of Johannesburg, now does live boxing commentary for Boxing 5 and is also a fitness trainer.

He left behind an extraordinary legacy: two-division world champion. Between 2011 and 2016, he held the WBA and IBO minimumweight world titles. He captured the unified WBA (Super), IBF, and The Ring magazine junior flyweight titles in 2018.

Budler was the first SA boxer to win a unified world championship and only the second to be awarded The Ring magazine belt inside the ring.

The first was Vic Toweel, who earned that prestigious honour on May 31 1950, after defeating legendary bantamweight champ Manuel Ortiz at Wembley Stadium in Johannesburg.