Tuesday 3 October 2017 10:23, UK
Paul Butler produced a clinical performance to defeat rival Stuart Hall in a rematch that doubled up as a bantamweight world title eliminator.
Butler boxed supremely well from the off and eventually got the verdict via scores of 117-111 and 118-110 twice, and will now be in line to challenge for the WBA bantamweight world title, currently in the hands of Doncaster's Jamie McDonnell.
When the pair fought in 2014, Butler, 28, narrowly edged a closely fought fight, but he made sure it was much more conclusive this time around.
The pre-fight script suggested that it could be a classic boxer against puncher contest and that was exactly how proceedings began with Butler, bouncing on the back-foot, getting off to the better start.
Darlington's Hall got into his familiar come-forward rhythm and the 37-year-old found several moments of success early on in the fight, a clattering right hand sending Ellesmere Port's Butler off balance in the third.
But from there, the 'Baby Faced Assassin' upped the tempo and began to box beautifully as he circled the ring, Hall unable to close the gap and get in range.
The one-sided slick and sharp boxing continued into the mid-rounds, Butler even switching to southpaw in the sixth and landing a crisp and classy left hook as his confidence only grew more.
The 28-year-old showed no signs of slowing up, countering well with eye-catching, sharp shots as he continued to add rounds to his tally.
That was epitomised in the 10th, when Butler supremely ducked underneath a Hall straight shot to land a great left uppercut.
Despite the one-sided dominance, Hall, always a gutsy performer and realising it was last chance saloon, gave it his all in the final rounds, landing well on occasions, but ultimately failing to get the stoppage he required.
Speaking after the contest, Butler said: "It was a very sweet victory, I knew I had to be smart and box him.
"I've improved massively, I'm a lot more composed, I pretty much neglected everything Hall wanted to do.
"I'm most definitely ready to fight for a world title, we want Jamie McDonnell next."
