BoxRec

Sunderland based boxer Thomas Essomba heads to Scotland this weekend to defend his Commonwealth flyweight title against Motherwell's Iain Butcher at Edinburgh's Meadowbank Sports Centre on Saturday and it promises to be a tough test for the two-time Olympian.

Essomba's manager and promoter, Phil Jeffries, has high hopes for his charge and believes he can go all the way to a world title but he is not underestimating Butcher and preparation for Essomba's first defence of the title he won against Sheffield's Waleed Din in October. “Thomas is a manager's dream. He has the skill to go all the way and he is a true fighting man who is willing to take on anybody. Talent can only take you so far so we have had the best of sparring in the build up to his first defence. He's been sparring the likes of Tommy Ward for this one and you can't get any better preparation than that.”

Essomba will be entering the lion's den and Jeffries expects a partisan crowd but when asked if that would be a concern for the man from Cameroon, he pointed out “Thomas won the title in Sheffield against a top prospect in Waleed Din. He will fight anyone, anywhere and that attitude can take his as far as he wants to go. Sean Casey has done an amazing job in helping Thomas to adapt to the pro ranks after such a long and successful amateur career. Providing Thomas comes through on Saturday, I will be looking to step him up again.”

Butcher is a big flyweight and he comes into the fight with confidence but Essomba has moved between flyweight and super flyweight since he turned pro so the extra size may not be too much of a factor. One thing is for sure, the fans are in for a treat as both men are all-action fighters who are coming in to win. Due to the flyweight division having less fighters than most of the other weight divisions, opportunities are never far away for those who take their chance. Who knows what is around the corner for Saturday's victor.

For ticket information, contact boxers or MGM Scotland for details.

Great little match up, wish Iain all the best. Paddy Barnes on the NBP a few weeks ago thought Essommba would have to much for him, but I'm hoping the fact that Butcher has boxed at the higher level coupled with the home advantage will see him through.

Sorry, fight cancelled this morning. No reason given.

dalcumly wrote:Sorry, fight cancelled this morning. No reason given.

Disappointing. Did you hear who pulled out?

Considering it was Essomba's manager who put that on here, then it must be Butcher?

mickey1975 wrote:Considering it was Essomba's manager who put that on here, then it must be Butcher?

Ahh I wasn't aware that was his manager

Gutted. Was really looking forward to this one.

Essomba looked really good beating Waleed Din.

ah thought the fight was still on but at Super Flyweight ?

It's now a 10 rounder at super fly

Butcher failed check weigh inn

Still a very good fight. Does this mean Butcher is now moving up a weight division or two? He hasn't weighed less than 8st 4lb since 2013.

You've got to laugh - super flyweight! Come on. Most people can lose 2 pounds while they're sleeping. There shouldn't be anything between flyweight and bantam. There isn't even enough boxers in Britain at flyweight to make a top ten list. Who invented a super flyweight category anyway.
Bantamweight is a good category without this nonsense .

dalcumly wrote: Who invented a super flyweight category anyway.
.

I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect it might have been a country with a lot of midgets

dalcumly wrote:You've got to laugh - super flyweight! Come on. Most people can lose 2 pounds while they're sleeping. There shouldn't be anything between flyweight and bantam. There isn't even enough boxers in Britain at flyweight to make a top ten list. Who invented a super flyweight category anyway.
Bantamweight is a good category without this nonsense .

I can lose 2 pounds wanking in the shower.

dalcumly wrote:You've got to laugh - super flyweight! Come on. Most people can lose 2 pounds while they're sleeping. There shouldn't be anything between flyweight and bantam. There isn't even enough boxers in Britain at flyweight to make a top ten list. Who invented a super flyweight category anyway.
Bantamweight is a good category without this nonsense .

My Ex wife could lose 2 pounds if she shaved her back.

2lbs is a lot when your tight at the weight especially at the lower weights

I know 2 pounds can be hard to shift at the lighter weights, and I don't mean to be insulting. But if ANY boxer is 'tight' at the weight when they are training flat out, then there is a clear message there - he' s fighting at the wrong weight. My point is that if a boxer comes in at say 8sts 3 lbs to fight a bantamweight whose coming down to 8 sts 6 lbs , the extra weight at fight time will not make a great deal of difference . Not as much as at the heavier weights. Super flyweight was simply made up to create another 'title ' opportunity.
The bottom line is, you have your boxer training full time, eating healthily, and when he's reached his peak- weigh him first thing in the morning. That's his fighting weight! Anything else is false and risky.

Let’s not be ungrateful – without these "new" weight classes, we wouldn’t have 4-weight world champions like http://boxrec.com/boxer/517. How else could someone get world title fights consistently for 17 years, across 5 divisions and have a record in world titles of 8-10-1?

Plus it will be interesting to see what weight the Essomba v Butcher fight takes place at - if it is anything over 8st 3lb, it is a bantamweight fight in any event. So failing to be in a position to make flyweight based on the check-weigh and having a fight at bantamweight would at least be a "traditional" solution.

Counter-puncher wrote:

dalcumly wrote: Who invented a super flyweight category anyway.
.

I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect it might have been a country with a lot of midgets

Probably mexico

Butcher won 97-94. Decent win and saves him from journeyman status.

Supremo wrote:Butcher won 97-94. Decent win and saves him from journeyman status.

Really good win. Essomba is a good fighter.

PredatorHayds wrote:

Supremo wrote:Butcher won 97-94. Decent win and saves him from journeyman status.

Really good win. Essomba is a good fighter.

Yeah excellent win. A lot of folk thought Butcher should've gotten the nod against Satchell as well.

Stuarty30 wrote:

PredatorHayds wrote:

Supremo wrote:Butcher won 97-94. Decent win and saves him from journeyman status.

Really good win. Essomba is a good fighter.

Yeah excellent win. A lot of folk thought Butcher should've gotten the nod against Satchell as well.

Hell of a hometown decision that. Thought Butcher beat Satchell hands down.

dave_smith wrote:

Stuarty30 wrote:

PredatorHayds wrote: Really good win. Essomba is a good fighter.

Yeah excellent win. A lot of folk thought Butcher should've gotten the nod against Satchell as well.

Hell of a hometown decision that. Thought Butcher beat Satchell hands down.

I missed the fight but I remember there being a bit of an uproar over the scoring.

Imo Iain Butcher lost his way when he left his brother to go train with Danny Vaughn and also leaving promoter Paul Graham who I believe was losing money to try get him into the position to challenge for a belt and looked after Iain very well. Heard he is back with his brother now and if that is true after his win at the weekend it shows that sometimes it is better the devil you know.