At the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena last night, two British fighters went head-to-head for the IBF Bantamweight title.
The champion Stuart Hall was facing the emerging star of the division Paul Butler, in a fight that many were finding hard to call.
Hall entered the ring with a record that read 16-3-2 with 7 wins by way of knockout whilst the younger challenger had a record that read 16-0 with 8 by way of knockout.
Hall defending the title he had won against the South African, Vusi Malinga, back in December 2013, had been talking, pre-fight, about a unification fight with Jamie McDonnell. However, that talk was blown out of the water when a decision that could be judged as controversial, saw the challenger take the title on a split decision.
The judge?s scorecards, at the end of the fight read:-
? 115-113 (in favour of Butler)
117-111 (in favour of Butler
115-113 (in favour of Hall)
Although pundits might suggest that Hall landed the bigger punches and took the fight to Butler, others would suggest that Butler threw the greater quantity of punches and quite rightly took the verdict.
After the fight the delighted Butler, aware that the decision might be viewed as controversial, talked about giving Hall a re-match, remarking,
?He gave me a shot, so why shouldn?t I give him a shot.?
It?d be a match-up that would be eagerly awaited in my opinion.
Butler Takes IBF Bantamweight Title
