PAUL BUTLER plans on becoming a world super-flyweight champion – but says he can’t do it without his trainer Arnie Farnell.
The 24-year-old from Great Sutton defended his Commonwealth title on Friday night by stopping Najah Ali in the fourth round at the Liverpool Olympia.
Butler is now 12-0 as a professional and is scheduled to be back in action on Saturday, July 20 in London where he is expected to fight for the vacant WBO Intercontinental crown.
And he says the guidance of Farnell will be vital if he is to go all the way to the top.
The Manchester trainer was the subject of criticism when high profile fighters Tony Bellew and Frankie Gavin left his stable. But Butler says he knows Farnell is the man to help take him to a world title.
“Arnie has played a massive part in my success,” said the former ABA champion.
“I’ve been with him for three years and I know people slagged him off when Tony and Frankie left him.
“But they left him for personal reasons and as unbeaten fighters.
“I don’t think any other trainer would have been able to get me to where I am today. Certain people just click and we do.”
Farnell enjoyed a 37-fight pro career and claimed a version of the world middleweight title.
“He's been there and done it,” said Butler, a former Vauxhall Motors ABC amateur. “I used to get frustrated with the old pro tricks earlier on in my career and if it wasn’t for him, then I still would be.
“Arnie knows all the tricks and definitely deserves full credit for helping me.”
Butler had been scheduled to kick off his journey towards world honours by taking on Nicaragua’s Arnoldo Solano for the WBO Intercontinental bauble last Friday.
However, Solano failed a British Boxing Board of Control medical on Wednesday so promoter Frank Warren had to find a replacement opponent in double-quick time.
Ali agreed to take the fight at short notice – although he probably wished he hadn’t.
A lightning left-hook from Butler put Ali on the canvas after just 15 seconds of the first round.
The Iraqi-born fighter, now based in Wales, soon recovered and fired back with combinations of his own.
But Butler was always in control and he stopped Ali in the fourth round with a debilitating left hook to the body.
