Paul Butler Faces Sanchez For Regional IBF Belt, 3/12 In Liverpool

By Elliot Foster

Paul Butler will look to get back on the trail of a world title after his next fight.

The Ellesmere Port super flyweight has had three stoppage victories since suffering his first career defeat at the hands of South Africa’s Zolani Tete 11 months ago and the former world champion will look to get back to former glories, providing he gets a win next month.

Butler (20-1, 11 KOs) picked up the WBO European title in his last fight at the Manchester Arena back in December and will attempt to add to his ledger when he takes on Sebastian Sánchez at Liverpool’s ECHO Arena.

The ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ and the 24-year-old Mexican (12-1, 9 KOs) will square off for the vacant IBF International crown on the undercard of Terry Flanagan’s rescheduled WBO lightweight title defence against North West rival Derry Mathews on March 12, exclusively live on BoxNation.

Flanagan and Mathews had originally been set to meet last Saturday (February 13) before a foot injury to the champion put paid to that and forced the clash to be rearranged.

But the push back of the card wasn’t something that Butler was disappointed about.

“To be honest, I was made up that the fight got pushed back,” he told Boxing Scene, “because I had a still had a bad hand from my last fight and hadn’t been able to train properly.

“I only had my first spar on the Wednesday, which was the day it got called off, and there was only a bit more than two weeks to go, so the rescheduling was perfect for me.

“Now, everything has gone perfect and I’m right on track. That said, I wouldn’t have pulled out if I’d have boxed on February 13 because it’s just boxing with a sore hand. You don’t feel it in the fight, because the adrenaline is pumping, but it’s afterwards that it affects you.”

Butler, 27, will be hoping that a victory will lead him down the road to a third world title shot and a potential shot at McJoe Arroyo, the current red, white and gold ruler, who defends his crown against mandatory challenger Jerwin Ancajas –– who Butler was set to face in a final eliminator at one stage –– on April 16 in the Philippines.