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EDMONTON - Tye Fields looked in the mirror and didn’t like what he saw.
Of course, when you’re 6-foot-8 and on the north side of 280 pounds, it’s not always easy to tell if the reflection is lying. But in this case, the big guy’s ‘gut’ instinct was right on the money.
“I got tired of looking at myself and not being impressed with the picture, so I made a conscious decision to reconnect with what it means to be a pro,” said Fields, who takes on Minnesota’s Raphael Butler in tonight’s 10-round main event on KO Boxing’s Show of Force card at the Shaw Conference Centre.
“I made some changes to my diet, got back to a religious training schedule … and got rid of my gut. No white bread, no potatoes, no beer. Lots of vegetables. It wasn’t like I was living on all the bad stuff — but I don’t like to be hungry, either.
“Once I got back into hard training, the new diet wasn’t as hard to take as I thought it would be. Now I feel better than I have in years.”
Before Fields could say ‘grilled cheese sandwich,’ 20 pounds melted away, taking him down to 263. It’s the lightest he’s been in more than four years.
“It’s an amazing difference,” added the Montana-born slugger, who has 43 KOs in 48 wins, against just four losses. “Speed-wise, I’m much sharper because I’m not lugging around the extra weight when I get set to throw punches.
“I’m a lot quicker cutting off the ring, too. When you’re as big as me, 20 pounds doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but it’s day and night. I guarantee I’m not the same guy Raphael thought was going to show up.”
Speed is what the 36-year-old Fields will need against Butler (35-10, 28 KOs), who’s nine years younger.
“Tye’s right about that; he’s definitely not the same as when we sparred together five years ago in Las Vegas,” said Butler, who stands 6-3 and tips the scales at 260. “He’s been around the block. When I turned pro (in 2004), he’d already had as many fights as I’ve got now, so you know he’s got that veteran experience. But I’m ready for whatever he brings. He won’t surprise me.”
Butler lost a 10-round decision to unbeaten Canadian Boxing Federation champ Neven Pajkic (16-0) last fall in Toronto — a fight many observers thought the former U.S. Golden Gloves super heavyweight champ deserved to win. Fields agrees.
“It’s pretty well known in boxing circles that Raphael should have won, but the judges didn’t see it that way,” said Fields. “So I’m looking at our fight as an opportunity to put pressure on Pajkic to finally man up and face me.
“Butler is an excellent boxer and he’s got a big punch. He’s a guy who knows how to win. My goal is to beat him in a substantial manner … which means not leaving it up to the judges. It can’t just be a win; it has to be impressive.
“Maybe then Pajkic will stop finding excuses not to fight me for the title.”
QUICK JABS: Butler floored current WBC champ Vitali Klitschko during a sparring session in Los Angeles in 2005 … Fields added racquetball to his training regimen to improve his hand speed … 39 of Fields’ 48 wins have come inside of three rounds; for Butler, the figure is 27 of 35 … The six-bout card, which is being televised (tape delay) on Rogers Sportsnet
Of course, when you’re 6-foot-8 and on the north side of 280 pounds, it’s not always easy to tell if the reflection is lying. But in this case, the big guy’s ‘gut’ instinct was right on the money.
“I got tired of looking at myself and not being impressed with the picture, so I made a conscious decision to reconnect with what it means to be a pro,” said Fields, who takes on Minnesota’s Raphael Butler in tonight’s 10-round main event on KO Boxing’s Show of Force card at the Shaw Conference Centre.
“I made some changes to my diet, got back to a religious training schedule … and got rid of my gut. No white bread, no potatoes, no beer. Lots of vegetables. It wasn’t like I was living on all the bad stuff — but I don’t like to be hungry, either.
“Once I got back into hard training, the new diet wasn’t as hard to take as I thought it would be. Now I feel better than I have in years.”
Before Fields could say ‘grilled cheese sandwich,’ 20 pounds melted away, taking him down to 263. It’s the lightest he’s been in more than four years.
“It’s an amazing difference,” added the Montana-born slugger, who has 43 KOs in 48 wins, against just four losses. “Speed-wise, I’m much sharper because I’m not lugging around the extra weight when I get set to throw punches.
“I’m a lot quicker cutting off the ring, too. When you’re as big as me, 20 pounds doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but it’s day and night. I guarantee I’m not the same guy Raphael thought was going to show up.”
Speed is what the 36-year-old Fields will need against Butler (35-10, 28 KOs), who’s nine years younger.
“Tye’s right about that; he’s definitely not the same as when we sparred together five years ago in Las Vegas,” said Butler, who stands 6-3 and tips the scales at 260. “He’s been around the block. When I turned pro (in 2004), he’d already had as many fights as I’ve got now, so you know he’s got that veteran experience. But I’m ready for whatever he brings. He won’t surprise me.”
Butler lost a 10-round decision to unbeaten Canadian Boxing Federation champ Neven Pajkic (16-0) last fall in Toronto — a fight many observers thought the former U.S. Golden Gloves super heavyweight champ deserved to win. Fields agrees.
“It’s pretty well known in boxing circles that Raphael should have won, but the judges didn’t see it that way,” said Fields. “So I’m looking at our fight as an opportunity to put pressure on Pajkic to finally man up and face me.
“Butler is an excellent boxer and he’s got a big punch. He’s a guy who knows how to win. My goal is to beat him in a substantial manner … which means not leaving it up to the judges. It can’t just be a win; it has to be impressive.
“Maybe then Pajkic will stop finding excuses not to fight me for the title.”
QUICK JABS: Butler floored current WBC champ Vitali Klitschko during a sparring session in Los Angeles in 2005 … Fields added racquetball to his training regimen to improve his hand speed … 39 of Fields’ 48 wins have come inside of three rounds; for Butler, the figure is 27 of 35 … The six-bout card, which is being televised (tape delay) on Rogers Sportsnet
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