Butler Sees Inevitable Conlan Clash As An Easy Payday

By Jake Donovan

As he is being steered in the direction of an eventual showdown with unbeaten prospect Jamie Conlan, former bantamweight champ Paul Butler would rather focus on present-day business. 

Up next for the Brit is a scheduled 10-round clash with Silvio Olteanu, which graces a loaded bill on December 19 at Manchester Arena in Manchester. England. The show is topped by Andy Lee’s middleweight title defense versus unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders. 

Butler has drawn attention to his fight in part due to his own notoriety but also in being forced to contend with contend with talk of a reportedly inevitable collision course with Belfasts’s Conlan. Whether that confident in his own ability or just dismissing the matchup outright, the former champ doesn’t see the competitive grudge match that most have made it out to be. 

“I don’t rate Conlan at all. I just don’t understand all the hype,” Butler (19-1, 10KOs) said in a statement released through Queensberry Promotions’ press office . “Seriously, it’s an easy fight for me. It’ll be over within six rounds. 

“Jamie forgets that I properly spanked him as an amateur at the (July) 2007 Commonwealth Federation Championships in Liverpool. I was boxing at 48 kilos at the time but stepped up to 51 at just two days notice and thrashed him 29-12. I remember he was pretty weak. It wasn’t even a race!”

The December 19 showcase slot marks Butler’s third fight back since a failed bid at becoming a two-division champion. Moving down in weight after claiming a bantamweight belt in a 12-round win over countryman Stuart Hall last June, Butler – still unbeaten at the time – took a run at defending super flyweight titlist Zolani Tete but was stopped in eight rounds for his lone career loss to date. 

His first fight back came four months later… although not against his desired opponent. 

 

“To be honest, I requested the Conlan fight for my comeback after losing my world title challenge to Tete,” Butler insists. “But they now want us both to go head-to-head in Dublin next February to build up a big (WBO) world title eliminator for around May. I’d happily fight him now.

 

“Money will dictate the venue but, believe me, if I had a choice, I’d love to go to Belfast and walk to the ring first with all his crowd booing me as a wait for him. Hopefully the media will build up the England-Ireland thing a bit, just like (Carl) Frampton vs. (Scott) Quigg. I love a bit of grit!”  

 

Quite a buildup for a fight Butler claims not to pay any mind.

Then again, it’s the course now being dictated if he is to work his way back into title contention at his desired weight. England has never boasted a super flyweight champion, perhaps providing Butler with the necessary incentive to accept whomever is placed in front of him.

For now, it means placing his focus on Olteanu (15-8-1, 6KOs), Romania-born but now based out of Spain. The well-traveled 37-year old has fought in five separate countries over the course of his 10-year career, but makes his debut appearance in jolly old England. 

Olteanu enters coming off of a 12-round loss to Thomas Masson on the road in France this past September, boasting an uninspiring 4-5-1 ledger over his last 10 starts. The first loss over that stretch, however, was a narrow split decision defeat in a flyweight title bid versus Daiki Kameda. 

“I’ve never been a huge one for studying opponents on tape. I’ll just watch a couple of minutes tops then turn it off. All I know is that Olteanu’s a former European champion who gave (Daiki) Kameda a close fight for the WBA flyweight title over in Japan. He’s definitely a big step up from the last two opponents I fought so I’ll be bang up for it. I’ve already started sparring.

 

“Olteanu’s fought in very good company yet he’s never been stopped in almost 11 years as a pro. But he’s a career flyweight and he’s getting on a bit now. I’ll definitely be looking to get him out of there early, pick up another title and get myself right back into the mix with all the major sanctioning bodies.”

 

With a victory, he can then move on… to the fight he claims doesn’t move him. 

Then again, a little bit (or a lot) of cash can help remedy any dilemma. 

“The rivalry that is building up between me and Conlan are spicing things up for us, adding digits to our cheques,” notes Butler.