THAI PIGMY KOKIETGYM SET TO CHALLENGE WBA/IBO WORLD CHAMP HEKKIE BUDLER THIS SATURDAY IN MONACO
By Carlos Costa
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 17 Jun 2014
The long reigning WBC Asian 105-pound champ Pigmy Kokietgym (52-6-2, 22 KO's) of Thailand is set to depart today (June 17) for the most important battle of his life: his clash against South African WBA/IBO World Champion Hekkie Budler (25-1, 8 KO's) this Saturday (June 21) at the Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin in the Principality of Monaco.
The third man in Monaco will be American referee Raul Caiz Jr of California with ringside Judges Pawel Kardyni of Poland, Juan Manuel Garcia Reyes of Spain and Ferlin Marsh of New Zealand.
In preparation for this double-title fight, the experienced 105-pounder Pigmy Kokietgym has completed a full-schedule of sparring rounds with his more heavy stablemate super bantamweight veteran Sod Kokietgym (63-2-1, 28 KO's). Sod is also in training for his fight against unbeaten Cuban world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux (13-0, 8 KO's) next month in Macau.
The full training and physical conditioning have taken place at the Kokiet Gym training facility in Thailand, succeeding in getting Pigmy's weight under control, and strength and speed at their best.
Stakes are high for the world-ranked come-forward challenger Pigmy Kokietgym whose last outing was an easy 6-rounder unanimous decision win over unheralded Filipino Jimmy Masangkay last February in Kalasin, Kingdom of Thailand.
In contrast, the taller more talented WBA/IBO world champ Hekkie Budler, 26, comes from pulverizing in less than 3 minutes Colombian challenger Karluis Diaz (25-5, 14 KO's) last March in Kempton Park, South Africa.
On paper, the refined fighting skills of Hekkie Budler should be enough for the aggressive 32-year-old Pigmy Kokietgym, a former muay thai combatant... though in boxing we never know.
The card's co-main event features the competitive battle between Congolese-born French Youri Kayembre Kalenga (19-1, 13 KO's) and hard-swinging Polish Mateusz Masternak (32-1, 23 KO's) for the vacant WBA interim Cruiserweight title.
Top photo: Thai challenger Pigmy Kokietgym RIGHT during last day of Training Today in Thailand.
Thai challenger Pigmy Kokietgym RIGHT with Stablemate and Sparring partner Sod Kokietgym During Training Today in Thailand.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
‘SUGAR’ NUNEZ VS. ‘PITUFO’ DIAZ – PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Sat, 06 Sep 2025SUNDERLAND: WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER
Sat, 06 Sep 2025USA Boxing Nabs Perfect Outing on Day One of 2025 World Boxing Championships
Sat, 06 Sep 2025Kelvin Watts Charged Up for 2025 World Boxing Championships
Sat, 06 Sep 2025Legendary German Trainer Michael Timm Dies
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 06 Sep 20252X Olympic Champion, 4X Undisputed & 17X World Champion Claressa Shields Confirmed for Eighth Annual Box Fan Expo,
Sat, 06 Sep 2025Boxers swing into action
By Joaquin Henson, Fri, 05 Sep 2025UBO Youth World Title Showdown: Aliya Soomro Fights Monika Singh in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Fri, 05 Sep 2025Battle of the Hawk Season 1 Finals on September 9; offers P600,000 to the winning team while P300,000 to the losing finalist team
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 05 Sep 2025Press Conference Notes: Oscar Valdez Motivated for Saturday's Homecoming Against Ricky Medina
Fri, 05 Sep 2025SUNDERLAND PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES AS McCORMACK EYES BIG WIN
Fri, 05 Sep 2025THE ROAD TO REYES CUP AND MOSCONI CUP | 2025 PLAYERS QUALIFICATION
Fri, 05 Sep 2025Statement from World Boxing following reports in the French media about French female boxers at the World Boxing Championships
Fri, 05 Sep 2025GenSan Is Our Version of Los Mochis - The City of Boxing Champions
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 05 Sep 2025Iglesias vs. Shishkin: Unsigned Hype
By Chris Carlson, Fri, 05 Sep 2025