When watching a fight I tend to be engrossed in the action, almost totally absent to the rest of the world. Usually, only a give and take barnburner can get me out of my seat, where the exchange of punches heightens the sense of impending drama. It is unusual then, that I find myself exclaiming every time I watch Paul Butler fight. The 25 year old Liverpudlian scored a 4th round stoppage of Argentina’s Oreste Bernabe Nieva on Saturday night to extend his record to 15-0 (8 KO’s), but the record isn’t what keeps me tuned in, it’s the way he goes about compiling it that does.
Butler has oft been mentioned as one of the UK’s brightest prospects in recent years, ever since he beat Ashley Sexton and stopped John Donnelly in one for the British super flyweight title. Paying attention to him, it is clear for all to see that he is abnormally talented for a domestic fighter. Last December Butler put on a masterclass against tough-nut Ruben Montoya, winning almost every round on all three judges scorecards. At times when he seemed to languish on the ropes, he would roll his shoulder, slip and block incoming fire before responding with venom of his own. I was sold.
This Saturday, Butler took his time landing piercing lead left uppercuts through the middle, doubled and even tripled up on the left hook and sunk troubling hooks to the ribcage of his admittedly over-matched opponent. Nieva never had an answer, struggling to get inside as Butler kept him at range with fast combinations and discouraged him with meaty body shots. After a torrid third round Nieva motioned to his corner to remove his gumshield as he walked back, clearly in need of a deep breath.
In the 4th Nieva was made to pay for loitering in front of Butler on the ropes. From what appeared to be a relatively innocuous exchange, Butler landed three consecutive short left hooks to Nieva’s head, before turning his attention downstairs once again with a destructive left hook to the liver. Nieva was down and out.
In ending fights the way he does, Butler will be making new fans with every televised outing, as more and more grow to realize his potential. With the stoppage Butler also put an emphatic seal on the announcement of his entrance to the bantamweight division, where quality domestic fights are not hard to come by. Stuart Hall is the current IBF world champion, Jamie McDonnell is the former IBF beltholder and Lee Haskins is the former European and current British king.
With skeptics perhaps armed with the accusation that he is yet to face an opponent of his class, the bantamweight division appears then to be the ideal place for Butler to make a statement, and if he can continue to wow the crowds, those big fights should come sooner rather than later.
