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SA STARS IN THE RING!

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Hekkie Budler will fight Filipino Joey Canoy for the vacant IBO light flyweight crown tomorrow.  Photo by Themba Makofane
Hekkie Budler will fight Filipino Joey Canoy for the vacant IBO light flyweight crown tomorrow. Photo by Themba Makofane

SOUTH AFRICA’S most successful boxing promoter, Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves, starts the year on a high note by staging a cracker box-and-dine tournament themed “Thunder and Lighting” at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park tomorrow.

Topping the bill will be a 10-rounder international cruiserweight contest between South African boxing’s golden boy, Kevin “KO Kid” Lerena, who recently captured the Super Four cruiserweight title, and Vikapita Merero from Namibia.

In the main supporting bout Ryno “The Lion” Liebenberg will battle it out with the highly rated Enrico Koelling from Germany in a eagerly waited grudge rematch.

The Koelling-Lienbenberg clash promises fireworks as both will be stepping into the ring to prove a point. Both warriors believe they won their previous encounter, which ended in a controversial split decision in favour of the German fighter.

Speaking via his interpreter, Koelling said: “I still believe I won the fight, that is why I agreed to give Ryno a rematch. I expect to win again.”

Liebenberg, who thanked his opponent for living up to his word by agreeing to the rematch, said he would not be leaving anything up to chance.

“I respect Koelling for keeping his word. After our first fight he promised to give me a rematch and he has,” the SA boxer said.

“This time it’s going to be different. I believe I won the first contest and I want to win this one to remove all doubt.”

  • Also on the bill is a clash between former World Boxing Association super world champion Hekkie “Hexecutioner” Budler, in search of his fourth world title, and Filipino Joey Canoy for the vacant International Boxing Organisation light flyweight crown.
  • Fast-rising welterweight star Thulani Mbenge, who enjoyed a successful 2016, will meet seasoned campaigner Ntuthuko Memela over eight rounds, while the light heavyweight prospect Rowan Campbell will face Fhulufhelo Ramaliba from Limpopo.

All the contenders have met their required weight limits at the pre-fight medical and it’s all systems go for the event.

Golden Gloves boss Berman said many more world title fights were on his company’s schedule for the year.

He added that he was so convinced of the unbeaten welterweight puncher Mbenge’s skill that he would likely ship him off to the USA with Lerena to give him exposure on the bigger boxing circuit.

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