It’s no ordinary office job.

But that’s exactly what Paul Butler likens life at his trainer Joe Gallagher’s gym to.

This is no nine-to-five slog, though.

It’s gruelling, yes, but it’s also an inspirational place to be.

How could it not be when the Gloves Community Centre in Bolton is home to a group of top-class boxers sharing the same goal?

Paul Butler celebrates beating Carlos Ruben Dario Ruiz at the Manchester Arena with Joe Gallagher (right)

Butler first walked into the gym last summer to team up with 2015 Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year Gallagher.

And the Chester -born fighter continues to relish the experience.

“I’m 28 but I’m learning something new in the gym,” said Butler, who is from Great Sutton .

“I enjoy going to work – the gym – and I enjoy the lads sparring around me. I’m watching them spar as I’m training as well. Sometimes I’ll be finished, and there’ll be lads sparring, and I’ll just sit there and watch them.

“Lads like Anthony Crolla, a former world champion, Callum Smith, who’s going to fight for a world title, and Liam Smith, who boxed last Saturday and had a great win against Liam Williams.

Liam Smith (right) exchanges blows with Liam Williams during their WBO interim world super-welterweight fight at Manchester Arena

“I’m watching these people, who are world-class fighters, and I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I wasn’t learning off them.

“So I sit there and watch them, and learn something from them, because they’ve all got different styles, and there are always little things I can pick up.”

Butler, who made it three wins out of three under Gallagher by knocking out Carlos Ruben Dario Ruiz last Saturday, continued: “We’re all close knit.

“We’ll get to the gym in the morning, all do our work together, and once we’re all done, because we do it in two blocks because there’s so many of us, we’ll all chill out and then do our track or swimming work. So we’re all together until 4pm. You get up, get in for 9.30am and then stay together until 4pm. It’s like an office.

“It’s a good clique, there’s good vibes in there. Champions breed champions and everyone wants the same thing in the gym – and that’s titles.

Paul Butler during a public workout with trainer Joe Gallagher in Manchester this month

“Everyone is trying to kick on and help their mates to win a British title or a world title, or even just an eight-rounder or a four-rounder.”

Butler’s aim is a second world title.

The Vauxhall Motors ABC product claimed the IBF bantamweight world crown in 2014 after beating Stuart Hall before he took the decision to drop back down to super-flyweight in a bid to become a two-weight world champion.

But he’s now back at bantamweight and waiting on the WBA to rubber-stamp a mouthwatering all-British battle with WBA bantamweight world champion Jamie McDonnell.

“I said this last Saturday [after beating Ruiz], everything leading up to becoming a world champion the first time, was just so fast,” said Butler.

Paul Butler after defeating Stuart Hall to become a world champion
Paul Butler after defeating Stuart Hall to become a world champion

“I turned professional, won the British title within nine fights, and from then on it was title, title, title; Commonwealth, Inter-Continental, then 16 fights and, bang, world title.

“I was ready to do that as I beat Stuey Hall but I probably wasn’t ready to stay at the world-class elite level because I’d only had 16 fights.

“I was good enough to beat Stuey Hall, who is a good fighter, but we knew about him, because I’d sparred him previous to that. But, since the loss to [Zolani] Tete [for the IBF world super flyweight title], I’ve rebuilt.

“Everything came so quickly for me. While it was definitely not good, that loss [to Tete] probably did me a favour, as it’s allowed me to rebuild and grow back into a bantamweight, and push on from that.

“I think you’ll definitely see the best years out of me now.”