Blast from the past: Budler proves he’s lord of the ring in Tokyo

1967 — Future world champion Arnold Taylor makes his professional debut, fighting to a six-round draw against Ray Buttle.  

1979 — Double world champion Kork Ballington wins the 250cc and 350cc races at the Spanish Motorcycle Grand Prix at Jarama to entrench his lead on the two world championship rankings. But the event is marred by a pay controversy after 500cc winner Kenny Roberts of the US, refuses to accept his trophy in protest after his appearance fee was slashed by a third. There was a growing discontent among riders, already earning well through sponsorship and racing non-GP events, at the lowly racing fees. 

2000 — In a battle of future world champions, Corrie Sanders is beaten by Hasim Rahman in the seventh round of their clash in Atlantic City. Sanders’ marginal WBU title was at stake. But the next year Rahman became the undisputed world champion when he knocked out Lennox Lewis. And three years later Sanders knocked out WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko. 

2010 — Johan Botha stars with bat and ball as the Proteas edge the West Indies by one run to win the second T20 in North Sound. Botha made 23 in SA’s total for 120/7, the second-highest total behind David Miller’s 33. Then the spinner took 3/22 as SA restricted the Windies to 119/7.  

2012 — At the age of 49, paddling legend Oscar Chalupsky wins his 12th Molokai Challenge in Hawaii, an unofficial world championship ocean kayak race that stretches 48.2km (30-miles) from Molokai to Oahu. He had won his first crown in 1983 and claimed every title for the rest of the 1980s. He tied with his brother Herman in 1995 and then won again in 2000, 2003 and 2005. Along the way he beat Olympic K1 1,000m champions Greg Barton of the US and Australian Clint Robinson. 

2018 — Hekkie Budler makes SA ring history as he wins three world titles after surviving a late knock-down to outpoint Ryoichi Taguchi of Japan in Tokyo. Taguchi had held the WBA and IBF junior-flyweight titles as well as The Ring magazine belt awarded to boxers regarded as the best in their division. Budler, who had previously held the IBO junior-flyweight and IBO and WBA strawweight titles, equalled Cassius Baloyi’s SA record as a six-time world champion. He was only the second SA boxer after Vic Toweel to receive a Ring belt.