Paul Butler becomes two-time bantamweight champion of the world
Butler out-pointed late replacement Jonas Sultan at Probellum Liverpool tonight to claim the WBO interim world title in front of his passionate fans.
The expectation is that the WBO will officially elevate Butler to the full champion and the 33-year-old and his fans are this evening celebrating him becoming a two-time title holder.
Butler won the IBF crown in 2014 but soon relinquished his belt to chase honours at super-flyweight and he admits it has been a “long journey” to get back to the top of the 118lbs division.
Butler was given the decision by all three ringside judges who scored the contest 116-112, 118-110 and 117-111 in favour of the local hero.
The new champion said: “It’s unbelievable, what a feeling!
“I have waited a long time to be a two-time world champion.
“It’s been a long journey and we only had 48 hours to come up with a gameplan for Sultan but that’s what I can do. I nullified the bull tonight.”
Peter McGrail has warned the super-bantamweight division that he is only going to get “better and better” after recording a third straight stoppage win.
The Liverpool star halted Uriel Lopez in the fourth round after overwhelming the Mexican with yet another masterful display.
McGrail, now 4-0, said: “I am going to keep getting better and better.
“And hopefully, in the future, there will be some big nights coming to Liverpool. We’re the next stock coming through, and we will be bringing world titles back to this city.”
Probellum’s Sam Jones added: “That was a great decision by the referee to stop the fight, Lopez was taking a lot of damage.
“This guy will be selling this arena out very, very soon and he will win world titles in numerous weight divisions. Get behind Peter McGrail – what a fighter!”
Jazza Dickens now wants a fight with WBA world featherweight champion Leigh Wood after he impressively stopped Andoni Gago.
Dickens was back in action after losing last summer’s world title fight with Kid Galahad but delivered a statement of intent by landing a crunching uppercut on the former European champion that sent him to the canvas in the fifth round.
Gago failed to beat the referee’s count and with eight seconds left in the session, the contest was waved off.4
Dickens used his moment in the spotlight to make it clear he wants a big fight next, saying: “The next step for me is a big world title eliminator, if not a world title.
“I need a world title next. It can be Leigh Wood or Josh Warrington, but I would prefer Leigh Wood, who I have beaten before.
“It is hard to see another man with your world title.”
Sam Maxwell’s IBO world super-lightweight dream ended in the ninth round of a thrilling battle with Mexico’s Alejandro Meneses.
Maxwell was dropped in round four but continued to return fire in a back-and-forth affair that will rank as one of the fights of the year.
The Liverpool man was floored heavily again in the ninth and though he got back to his feet, Meneses swarmed Maxwell and forced referee Howard Foster to step in at 2:39 of the round.
Rocky Fielding continues to rebuild towards another title shot after making light work of Timo Laine.
Fielding, the former WBA world super-middleweight champion, forced the third round stoppage of Timo Laine.
Referee Steve Gray stepped in after 1:34 of the session and Fielding says he feels refreshed for having waited to get back in the ring following his 2018 defeat to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Fielding, now 30-2 after a three-fight winning streak, said: "I had never retired; I was just sitting back with the pandemic and was concentrating on my family and kids.
"But it's good to be back fighting and the break has done me the world of good, I've been boxing since the age of nine without any break."
UNDERCARD RESULTS
Blane Hyland WPTS 57-56 Stephen Jackson
Steven Cairns WTKO R1 (1:31) Jose Hernandez
Joe McGrail WTKO R1 (1:31) Mohammed Al-Warith
Harry Kinsella WPTS 40-36 Cristian Narvaez
Will Cawley WPTS 40-36 Marius Vysniauskus
Frankie Stringer WPTS 40-36 Simas Volosinas
HÖRFA are proud sponsors of British Boxing News