November 2, 2024

Paul Butler misses weight for vacant title bout

Badlefthook.com

It took Paul Butler 11 fights and almost three years to get another crack at the IBF bantamweight title and he blew it.

Butler, set to face undefeated Emmanuel Rodriguez tomorrow on the Bellew-Haye II undercard, came in close to the super bantamweight limit and is now ineligible to win the title. He reportedly elected not to attempt another weigh-in two hours later. The fight is still on, and Rodriguez leaves with the vacant belt if he gets the win.

Butler’s response:

Butler (26-1, 14 KO) got this title shot when Ryan Burnett elected to ditch the belt in favor of keeping his WBA title, avoiding Rodriguez (17-0, 12 KO) in the process. He’s squandered a golden opportunity something fierce.

Surprisingly, this was not the silliest weigh-in moment. Troy James, who stepped up to fight Luke Campbell on a day’s notice, came in 11 pounds heavier than Campbell.

Michael Benson@MichaelBensonn

🤷‍♂️ Luke Campbell has just weighed in at 9st 10lbs (136lbs), while his opponent Troy James is 10st 7lbs (147lbs). Bout is listed as super-lightweight on Matchroom site.

I don’t think this is going to prepare “Cool Hand Luke” for Yvan Mendy.

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