Weights From Liverpool: Smith 154; Radosevic 153

By Elliot Foster

 

Paul Butler has admitted to Boxing Scene that a weight move is imminent after he failed to make the super-flyweight limit for his next fight.

 

The Ellesmere Port man, who was set to defend his WBO International title against Thailand’s Petchbarngborn Kokietgym at the ECHO Arena in Liverpool on Saturday, says that he will have to go up to bantamweight in his next fight.

 

Butler (21-1, 12 KOs) scaled 8st 4lbs 12oz ahead of his world title final eliminator against the 8st 2lbs challenger (38-7-1, 18 KOs), which will be screened exclusively live on BoxNation as part of Liam Smith’s WBO super-welterweight world title defence against Predrag Radosevic.

 

“I just can’t do it anymore,” Butler told Boxing Scene.

 

“I had three pound to go at my last check-weight on Wednesday and it just wouldn’t come off. I did everything I could and it just wasn’t going right for me.

 

“If I’d have tried to get back down, I’d have ended up getting chinned early doors, so it’s time now to make that move up to bantam because my body can’t do it anymore.

 

The title is on the line for Kokietgym only.

 

Elsewhere, ‘Beefy’ (22-0-1, 12 KOs) was spot-on 11st ahead of the second defence of his crown against Montenegro’s Radosevic (30-1, 11 KOs), while the challenger came in a pound lighter at 10st 13lbs.

 

The show, which is billed ‘The Homecoming’, features three further title showdowns.

 

Ryan Farrag (15-1, 4 KOs) made weight ahead of his first defence of the European bantamweight title against mandatory challenger Karim Guerfi (23-3, 6 KOs) from France.

 

Farrag, who has also held the English belt at the weight, tipped the scales at 8st 6lbs.

 

Guerfi, who incidentally is a Marseille fan, was also 8st 6lbs.

 

Meanwhile, Tom Stalker and Antonio Joao Bento, who have a combined record of 40-16-5 (20 KOs), each weighed 9st 8lbs 8oz ahead of their showdown for the vacant WBO European lightweight crown.

 

And Zolani Tete (23-3, 19 KOs) and Victor Ruiz (21-5, 15 KOs) came in light of the 8st 6lbs bantamweight limit ahead of Tete’s defence of the IBF International belt.

 

The South African came in at 8st 5lbs, while Tijuana’s Ruiz tipped the scales at 8st 4lbs.

 

A slew of undercard fighters also weighed in at the city centre’s Bierkeller venue ahead of tomorrow’s action, with the pick of them being Declan Geraghty, Josh Leather, Kevin Satchell, Liam Williams and Steven Lewis.