Trainer Colin Nathan has been criticized by some people on social media for stopping Hekkie Budler’s fight against Hiroto Kyoguchi at the end of the 10th round. Some have said that Nathan stopped the WBA title fight too early as they feel Budler was not hurt.

“I will never apologise for looking after the well-being of a fighter. It’s the fighter’s responsibility to fight in the ring and it’s my responsibility to look after the fighter. Hekkie was legitimately ill the night before, he had sinus issues and his nose was blocked going into the sixth round. After round six he couldn’t breath, he told me. I felt round eight and nine he was shipping a lot of head shots and I said to him he is taking too many shots for my liking,” said Nathan.

“He tried to comeback and turn it around but it just wasn’t his day. No excuses I’ll own the loss, it was my responsibility, it was my actions. I’m the one who called the fight. But having said that we lost to the better man on the night. Hiroto is a good fighter and all credit to him, he was the better man on the night and he got the win.”

Nathan feels that Budler can still fight at the top and be a champion again.

“I believe that he’s got another title run in him,” said the trainer/manager nicknamed “Nomakanjani”.

“We’ll give him a rest for a few months. I like May or June for him to come back and see how he responds after this loss. It was a heart breaking loss for all of us and it wasn’t an easy decision for me to do but I will never apologise for looking after the well-being of a fighter. My fighters will always come first in my career.”

He does, however, acknowledge that there will always be people who do not agree with his decision.

“People will always have an opinion, people will always be judgmental naturally because boxing is an individual sport. At the end of the day nobody knows Hekkie the way I do. I just feel it was the right moment to stop the contest. There was no point in going on for another six minutes. All those old school guys who have the mentality that ‘oh as the champions he should go out on his shield’ – no. There is a reason why the game has evolved, there is a reason why we don’t use six ounce horse hair gloves anymore, there is a reason why we don’t do 15 rounds anymore. The safety aspect of boxing comes first. I don’t need to remind you that people die in the sport. It’s my responsibility to make sure the fighter walks in the ring and walks out of the ring. I will always do that.”