Boxing: Paul Butler handed spot on bill for Frank Warren’s Echo Arena super show

Oct 21 2010 Chester Chronicle

A BOXER has had his first professional fight cancelled – only for it to be rescheduled as part of a blockbusting live pay-per-view event.

Vauxhall Motors ABC star Paul Butler, 21, was supposed to make his pro debut in the ‘ On the Waterfront’ show at Liverpool’s Echo Arena this Saturday. But the entire card was cancelled and his fight has been rescheduled for a much bigger event taking place at the same venue on Saturday, December 11.

Promoter Frank Warren is celebrating 30 years in boxing and took the decision to postpone this weekend’s show in favour of assembling a better bill for what is sure to be a Christmas cracker.

Butler, from Great Sutton, will now complete on the same card as Olympic gold medallist James DeGale, who will take on champion Paul Smith for the British super-middleweight title, and Welshman Nathan Cleverly, who will challenge for the WBO interim light-heavyweight crown.

Butler, who recently signed a professional contract with Warren, will not find out his opponent until closer to the bout.

His father, Paul Butler Snr, said: “It’s now going to be on pay-per-view because it’s so big and it’s Frank Warren’s 30th anniversary in boxing. He’s been in contact with Paul from his office.

“At first you think, ‘Oh no, it’s been cancelled. It’ll probably be in London or Birmingham now’.

“But then it’s going to be even bigger and better, still at the Echo Arena and better for the fans. It’ll definitely be a sell out, about 10,500 fans in, so it’s great for Paul’s first fight.”

The delay has given the super-flyweight extra time to get into perfect shape for his premiere, though his dad says he didn’t need it.

Butler Snr said: “He had a week off when we knew it was cancelled and at the moment he’s training Monday, Wednesday and Friday.”