WBO likely to upgrade Paul Butler to full WBO champ after Jonas Sultan win in Liverpool

Paul Butler secured the vacant WBO interim bantamweight title on Friday night at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, with an unanimous decision win. Butler outpointed Jonas Sultan on the banks of the River Mersey, atop a card promoted by Probellum, taking the belt with scores of 116-112, 118-110 and 117-111.

“I had 48 hours to get a game plan together,” said Butler, who was initially set to face the current full champion John Riel Casimero before the latter was made unavailable to fight by the British Boxing Board of Control. Butler was first scheduled to meet Casimero in Dubai in December last year, but the fight fell through when John Riel failed to make weight.

They were then due to meet on Friday, but Casimero breached British Boxing Board of Control rules by using a sauna to lose weight.

Butler, the former IBF champion at the weight who outpointed Stuart Hall before relinquishing to go down in weight only to be knocked out by Zolani Tete, made a bright start against Casimero’s countryman Sultan, producing a great variety of punches and finding the target with combinations as Sultan struggled to land anything substantial.

Sultan started the sixth well, but Joe Gallagher-trained Butler, utilising fine footwork and solid boxing skills, kept making his opponent lunge in and miss.

“One Punch” had some success at the end of the eighth and had his best round in the ninth, but could not build on that as Butler regained control to secure a dominant victory.

It is understood that the WBO will upgrade Butler to full world champion after Casimero failed to submit a ‘Show cause’ letter to the sanctioning body as to why the title shouldn’t be declared vacant.

“It’s unbelievable. What a feeling,” Butler concluded after getting the biggest and most important victory of his career to date. “I’ve waited a long time to become a two-time world champion.”

Meanwhile, Sam Maxwell was stopped inside nine rounds as he suffered his first career setback in a challenge for the vacant IBO super-lightweight crown against Alejandro Meneses.

Meneses twice dropped the former Team GB man, who struggled throughout, before referee Howard Foster stepped in with 21 seconds remaining in the ninth.

There were winning returns for Jazza Dickens and Rocky Fielding, with Peter McGrail, his brother Joe and former Haringey Box Cup winner Harry Kinsella making it five from five for the locals.

Frankie Stringer won on his debut over four and Ireland’s Steven Cairns continued his unblemished pro journey alongside Will Cawley, while Blane Hyland had to get off the floor to win.