Butler cancels birthday to prepare for action
Danny Butler is targeting the top - after spending his birthday getting punched in the face! Butler, the former British and Commonwealth title challenger from Bristol, will box at Team Bath a week on Saturday (NOVEMBER 20) on a bill topped by unbeaten Nick ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell battling Harry Matthews for the vacant English middleweight championship.
Butler (right, courtesy L Lustig) hopes to secure more title fights in 2011 – and cancelled his birthday to ensure he’s ready for next week’s fight. He celebrated his 23rd birthday on Wednesday, November 10 and said: “I just trained twice like I do every other day.
“I want next year to be massive for me. I want to be climbing the rankings and fighting for major titles again and if that means I have to train on my birthday, then that’s what I will do.”
Butler sparred all-action Blackwell on the night of his birthday – and is convinced the 20-year-old from Trowbridge will beat Matthews, known as ‘The Pocklington Rocket,’ in their title fight. “I can’t see Nick losing,” he said. “He’s tough, fit and strong – and I’ve got the bruises to prove it.”
Butler has already boxed for major belts – steeping in at just 48 hours’ notice to meet Darren Barker for the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles 12 months ago. He was beaten in seven rounds and said: “I took a lot of confidence from that. Barker is a world-class fighter and I didn’t have any time to prepare, but I felt I had nothing to lose and proved I can compete at that level.”
Matchmaker Errol Johnson is currently trying to finalise an opponent for next week’s fight that is made at 12st 2lbs. Butler, a stoppage winner over tough-as-they-come Welshman Adam Wilcox in his last fight in May, says he is unsure whether he will campaign as a super-middleweight or in the 11st 6lbs middleweight division.
“I’m going to see how I feel in my next fight and then make a decision,” he said.
The bill in Bath also features Melksham srapper Liam Richards and Nathan Reeve, a former England amateur international.
Further details and tickets are available from Danny on 07540365505 and www.teambath.com.
