By Ron Jackson

There are some South African fighters defending their world titles and others challenging for world titles. However, some are not fighting.

First up we have five-time world champion 30-year-old Hekkie Budler (31-3, 10 KOs) in possibly the hardest fight of his career when he challenges Japan’s Ryochi Taguchi, 31, who has a record of 27-2-2, 12 KOs for the WBA and IBF light-flyweight titles on Sunday May 20 at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.

Next up is the 26-year-old Kevin Lerena (20-1, 9 KOs) who makes the second defense of his IBO cruiserweight title against Roman Golovashchenko, 30, the IBO Intercontinental cruiserweight champion who has a record 19-1, 7 KOs, on Saturday June 2 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Former two-time world champion 35-year-old Moruti Mthalane (35-2, 24 KOs), one of the most underrated South African world champions, possibly has the last role of the dice when he meets the inexperienced Muhammad Waseem, 30, from Pakistan who has record of 8-0, 6 KOs on Saturday July 7 at the Axita Arena in Kuala Lumpar for the vacant IBF flyweight title.

The number one fighter in South Africa at present is the 30-year-old WBO bantamweight champion Zolani Tete (27-3, 21 KOs) who will be taking part in the Word Boxing Super Series Season 2 shortly.

IBO minimumweight champion 31-year-old Simphiwe Khonco (18-5, 7 KOs) who made his last defense on June 10 last year is scheduled defend his belt against 28-year-old Moises Calleros of Mexico in June in the Eastern Cape.

The talented Gideon Buthelezi, 31, who holds the IBO junior-bantamweight title has not fought since July 28, 2017, and there have been no reports of him defending the belt in the near future.

The 28-year-old Xolisani Ndongeni (24-0, 12 KOs) a former IBO lightweight champion captured the vacant WBF lightweight title on April 6 this year when he outpointed Namibian Abraham Ndauendapo to become one of only five South Africans who currently hold ‘world’ titles.