Paul Butler vs Emmanuel Rodriguez - vacant IBF bantamweight title

[ElJefe]

Paul Butler has been offered the chance to fight for the title he used to hold after it was vacated by Ryan Burnett. Opponent would be Puerto Rico's Emmanuel Rodriguez (17-0, 12 KOs). Article basically says Hearn is just waiting on Butler and his team to accept the fight (they have until Thursday).

Never seen Rodriguez so can't comment on him, but seen some suggest he'd be the tougher out of Burnett's 2 mandatory options. Still, you'd think Butler would snap their hands off for the chance to fight for a vacant title in a strong division. Rodriguez might be the dogs bollocks for all I know but it's an easier fight on paper than Tete or Nery.

http://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12 ... m=referral

Edit - Will add a poll if the fight gets announced officially.

[East End]

Rodriguez did outpoint Alberto Guevara who went the distance over twelve against Leo Santa Cruz back in 2012 but there is nobody on Emmanuel's 17-0 record who could be considered in Butler's league.

'Exclusivity' Eddie's announcement about Burnett vacating the IBF did include a line about Rodriguez having refused an interim title fight against Lee Haskins. Now, it seems that Haskins is actually being forced aside in favour of another Matchroom fighter in Butler. Hmmmm

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hearn hoping to get it on the Khan-Lo Greco undercard

[Tangerine]

Hearn hoping to get it on the Khan-Lo Greco undercard

No money left for that show.Hearns confirmed it.likely go on the Haye Bellew card.

[handsofstone]

I had a look through Rodriguez's record there, not much on there apart from a decision win over Alberto Guevara who I remember Santa Cruz outpointing comfortably when he was world Bantamweight champ, Guevara was KO'd in a world title fight against Yamanaka I noticed, not much else on Rodriguez's CV, he's unbeaten but Butler's been in with better guys

I thought Butler looked excellent in the rematch with Hall, his footwork was sublime and he picked his punches very well, I had Hall edging the first fight so it was a much improved performance, Rodriguez might be dangerous even if fairly untested but Butler's a well schooled boxer and should have too much in the locker for him, hopefully he can KO Rodriguez he hasn't KO'd many people up at Bantam yet

[jamamb]

is paul butler really that good even? like hes beat pretty much no one at all except for hall and the first fight was super close, and how big of a win really was it beating him in the rematch? stuey hall was never as good as even randy caballero and hes almost 40! butler looked uterly awful against tete, even accounting for how good tete is. levels and levels and levels apart.

but i havent seen the other guy so dont know what hes like. but i just never really got why butler seemed so highly rated by some ppl and why some commentators have wanted to slurp him off so much (at least they did bank with fwank...going on especially about him being 'special')

[handsofstone]

is paul butler really that good even? like hes beat pretty much no one at all except for hall and the first fight was super close, and how big of a win really was it beating him in the rematch? stuey hall was never as good as even randy caballero and hes almost 40! butler looked uterly awful against tete, even accounting for how good tete is. levels and levels and levels apart.

but i havent seen the other guy so dont know what hes like. but i just never really got why butler seemed so highly rated by some ppl and why some commentators have wanted to slurp him off so much (at least they did bank with fwank...going on especially about him being 'special')

In all fairness Jam you're one of the most knowlegable guys on here but you don't rate anyone, I'm not even sure why you follow boxing, anyone who has flaws you disregard as being not very good, even if they are good, you'll bring up something about them being troubled in their 13th fight so they must be poo

Anyone who wins a major title is decent, maybe not a world beater but still good, I prefer to look at positives and negatives, you my friend are a negative Nerris who only sees bad, if you don't believe me, just look through your posts, if you were clever as you think you are then 99% of boxers who ever lived were utter shite

You're p4p for noticing flaws i'll give you that but elite boxers can have troubling times, doesn't make them bad boxers, go watch Ali, Robinson, Louis, Leonard etc, and I'm sure you'll have a field day in spotting things that aren't there strengths, ive watched all the old guys and seen them get clipped, beat and even KO'd and ive seen plenty hall of famers struggle against lower level guys, doesn't make them sh1t, its boxing FFS, you think Lionel Messi's never played crap against Malaga or Mallorca??

Your genuinely one of the best posters on here and clearly a clever chap but if your as negative in real life as you are on here then I bet youre a right miserable pudendum

[jamamb]

lol no sh!t paul butler is an excellent boxer compared to the average person who picks up the gloves, but were talking about a world title level of boxing here. and its not so much 'is paul butler good?' as it is 'is paul butler as good as most assume?'. im just not sure what there is to think that this is someone paul butler should really beat comfortably or anything like that.

butlers really only fought 2 notable opponents, hall and tete. and he beat hall razor close the first time then won a rematch vs almost 40 year old hall, who was always decent but never really top tier. and tete absolutely clowned then ko'd him.

so i just wonder, is it purely down to beating hall that butler is generally considered a world class guy who really should be quite comfortably favoured for this? does butler look really really good on the eye? did he come with a big amateur rep? i genunly dont know. with butler im not seeing it quite as clearly.

[jamamb]

and stony even if you think im a negative tit i still love you mate, youve got the passion for boxing and i can see it in all your posts. really we all love each other here i think even if it doesnt seem that way

[Ruthless-RKO]

Rodriguez hopes to spoil the party.

[handsofstone]

and stony even if you think im a negative tit i still love you mate, youve got the passion for boxing and i can see it in all your posts. really we all love each other here i think even if it doesnt seem that way

Cheers mate I'm glad you took it well, I don't know near as much as you, you know your stuff inside and outside the ring, I'm probably a bit too easily impressed TBF( I do like Butler though, even without a real big win yet, I think he's mustard, love watching him) and coz youre knowledgable I always wonder why you focus a lot on flaws

I know you were a believer in Eubank Jr( as was I) and I know your a Joshua fan but I couldn't tell you any boxers you really rate, I'm sure you've mentioned plenty

[jamamb]

ya, um, about eubank

[handsofstone]

ya, um, about eubank

See, if you were as positive/gullible as me then you'd be wrong plenty more times

[TheLeprechaun]

Butler is poor and he's getting outclassed

[martinmrts]

Bookies seem to have Rodriguez very much the favourite

[ElJefe]

Bookies seem to have Rodriguez very much the favourite

Surely worth a bit on Butler at 3/1? I haven't seen much of Rodriguez but those odds do seem a bit wide.

[stujones]

Odd seem crazy here - Butler on home territory (ish) against a fighter whose fought no one of note. Butler is his toughest fight.

[samwbr]

When is he back on the scales?

[stujones]

When is he back on the scales?

Just heard, that's a poor poor show from Butler - he should be able to make Bantam very comfortably. Something must have gone a bit wrong in training and perhaps reflected in the odds.

[BigDoofus]

Something wrong with those Tesco scales again.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Paul Butler Misses Weight; IBF Belt At Stake For Rodriguez Only

PAUL BUTLER missed weight ahead of his world title fight this weekend.

The Ellesmere Port bantamweight was set to fight Emmanuel Rodriguez on Saturday for the vacant IBF world title.
But the belt will now be at stake for Rodriguez only after the 29-year-old came in at 8st 9.3lbs [121.3-pounds].

Butler was given two hours, per IBF rules, to shift the weight, but he didn’t come back to the scales.

Rodriguez, who can become Puerto Rico’s next world champion with victory over Butler at the O2 Arena in London, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office, weighed in at 8st 5.7lbs [117.5-pounds].

Eddie Hearn, Butler’s promoter, was somewhat bemused afterwards, but maintained that the fight would still go ahead.

“I’ve no idea what happened there,” he told Boxing Scene, before confirming he had seen Butler’s coach Joe Gallagher and his father on the morning of the weigh-in. “Whenever that happens and you come in that much over the weight, usually something has happened in camp. It’s not like you’ve just misjudged it, you’ve either been ill, injured or even just unable to train for a few days.

“It’s a bit like the Scott Quigg fight [against Oscar Valdez, for the latter’s WBO featherweight strap], the only reason Butler has taken this fight is because it was for a world title.

“It’s a very dangerous fight and he’s not an unprofessional fighter, so something’s gone wrong in camp and he’s got to a stage where he’s playing catch-up and can’t make it any more.

“Rodriguez could ask Butler to be a certain weight on Saturday but he’s also well within his rights to say that he doesn’t want the fight and to walk away.

“That said, I don’t think he’d do that because he wants to become a world champion.”

[chinarich]

Butler should make Bantam with ease, 3lbs over is terrible...

[Stuarty]

Hope he gets chinned now!

[jamamb]

not the first time for butler is it

[BigDoofus]

not the first time for butler is it

It's getting a regular occurence for Tesco Joe.