Butler handily beats ‘last-minute foe’ Sultan for interim WBO belt
Paul Butler scores a unanimous decision win over “last minute foe” Jonas Sultan during their interim world title match in Liverpool, England. | Photo from Probellum
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Paul “Baby Faced Assassin” Butler made easy work on last-minute opponent, Jonas “Zorro” Sultan to becoming the World Boxing Organization (WBO) interim world bantamweight champion last Friday, April 22, 2022, at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England.
The 33-year-old Butler was supposedly scheduled to challenge the reigning WBO world bantamweight champion Johnriel Casimero, but the latter botched his title defense anew after the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) caught him using a sauna to shed weight during the fight week.
Casimero will likely be stripped of his title after Probellum, Butler’s promoter announced that the WBO will officially elevate Butler to the full champion after his win against Sultan.
Butler defeated Sultan via unanimous decision after 12-rounds. Judge Howard Foster scored the bout 116-112, while Fernando Laguna saw it 117-111, and Manuel Oliver Palomo has it 118-110, all in favor of the British world champion.
Butler won the IBF crown in 2014 but soon relinquished his belt to chase honors at super-flyweight and he admits it has been a “long journey” to get back to the top of the 118lbs division.
“It’s unbelievable, what a feeling!” said in his statement from Probellum.
“I have waited a long time to be a two-time world champion.
“It’s been a long journey and we only had 48 hours to come up with a gameplan for Sultan but that’s what I can do. I nullified the bull tonight.”
If there’s a boxer who deserved to become a world champion, that would be no one but Butler himself.
This as, it was the second time that Casimero botched their world championship bout. Last December, Casimero backed out on the eve of the official weigh-in in Dubai, UAE, after suffering from viral gastritis. Casimero was then replaced by Joseph Agbeko to fight Butler, but the fight was announced cancelled after the weigh-in.
His victory against Sultan improved his record to 34 wins with 15 knockouts and two defeats. Sultan absorbed his sixth defeat with 18 wins and 11 knockouts.
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