by Ronnie Nathanielsz

Filipino Renan Trongco has shed more than 8 pounds in three days before his title fight against IBO champion Hekkie Budler at Emperors Palace in Gauteng, South Africa on Saturday.

When Trongco and Budler met face-to-face for the first time at a preliminary medical checkup last Tuesday Budler was also above the strawweight limit by over 4 pounds and when Budker stepped on the scales for the official weigh-in Saturday he had to take off his underpants to make the weight.

Super Sport reported that Tringco " nonchalantly stepped on the scale and erased all fears about him being overweight. Instead it was Budler who  was marginally over the limit until he got rid of his underpants to avoid losing his title before the start of the fight card titled "Danger Zone."

Budler who has a record of 21-1 with 6 knockouts had previously scored controversial and close wins  over veteran Juanito Rubillar won the vacant title with an impressive twelve round unanimous decision over former Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation champion  Michael Landero on September 24, 2011.

In his last defense Budler scored a unanimous twelve round decision over former IBF minimum weight champion Florante Condes on September 22, 2012.

Budler who will be making the second defense of his title maintained that despite Trongco’s low IBO ranking said “Its going to be a good fight. He’s a strong, very tight southpaw. A hard punching fighter and he comes to fight and comes to win.”

Trongco who is a southpaw and  moves very much like boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and has a deadly left straight, also like Pacquiao, was reminded by Budler that the fight venue of the  Emperors  Palace in Kempton Park “is my backyard. I’m the Emperor’s kid.  I’m here to win and that’s just the way its going to stay.”

Trongco who has a record of 12-3 with 8 knockouts told the Manila Standard that he doesn’t wish to be overconfident but he’s certain to get the better of Budler.

Promoter Gabriel “Bebot” Elorde Jr told us it’s very hard to win a decision in South Africa and Trongco would either have to  knock Budler out or drop him two or three times to win a decision. Trongco's fight plan is to catch Budler with solid body shots.

Tags: Hekkie Budler