Truter looking to bounce back in inaugural tournament

Boksburg junior middleweight pugilist Tristan Truter will be looking to begin a new chapter in his boxing career with a win when he faces Wandile Ndlela in a six-round bout on May 22 in Booysens in Johannesburg.

The two will clash on “Homecoming’s” card – the first event of Uppercut Promotions co-founded by former Advertiser sports writer Cyril Lehong and his cousin, Geoffrey Sekhibidu.
Truter, who will be stepping back into the squared circle for the first time since joining his new trainer Colin Nathan, will have extra motivation in wanting to go back to winning ways following multiple defeats in his recent fights – a run of results that had a contribution with his surprising split from his previous mentor, Harold Volbrecht.

Quizzed on how much he knows about Ndlela, Truter cheekily said: “I’m feeling very excited, the only thing I know about him is that he’s not winning this fight.”
Uppercut Promotions boss, Lehong, also shared his excitement about the show.

“I’m excited and nervous as this is a huge event but it’s a dream come true,” he enthused.

“This show is big. The main fight is between former two-weight world champion Hekkie Budler and Jonathan Almacen of the Philippines. They will be fighting for the vacant WBC Silver International light flyweight title. Hekkie is a legend of South African boxing as he is only the second South African, after Willie Toweel in the 1950s, to win the Ring Magazine belt. He’s making a comeback and will be looking to make an impact as he’s ranked at third by the WBC.
“We named the tournament Homecoming because Hekkie Budler trained there as an amateur.”

The boxers will be going into a bio-bubble at Birchwood Hotel from May 19. The weigh-in will take place at the same venue on Friday.

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