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THE PRICE IS RIGHT FOR BUTLER
April 26th, 2011
By Jesse Kelley

Raphael Butler (35-9, 28 KO's)

 

 

Sky SportsThe Olympic bronze medallist is then due to take on McDermott in a British title eliminator in June but Price thinks American Butler is better.

Price said: "I think this fella (Butler) is better than John McDermott from what I have seen.

"McDermott is a step up but if I get through this I could view that as an easier fight."

Your last boxing match was in September of 2009 in Canada against Neven Pajkic. I watched the fight on tape and felt you won a close fight, at worst a draw. You knocked him down in the first but the ref ruled it a slip. The judges scored it pretty wide though in favor of Pajkic. What are your thoughts on what happened in your last fight.
I knew going into that fight that I would need a knockout to win. There was really no other way to win that fight. I knew he would have to end up in a coma or something like that in order to get a victory so I do blame myself for not knocking him out. It's sad though because a win should be a win regardless of where you are fighting.

Pajkic was undeafeted at 13-0 and fighting in his hometown. Now you are preparing to go to England to fight another undefeated hometown prospect named David Price (9-0). It's pretty much the same situation as the fight with Pajkic. Why did you take this fight against Price?
I took this fight because I still believe I have the ability to beat anybody. I just hate the fact that I have to go over there to fight him because he is a bronze medalist in the Olympics and has people talking about him. So once again I am in a position that I will probably have to knock him out. I do believe that I have a good chance of knocking this guy out though. That is where my focus will be, to set up the knock out.

He is a pretty decorated amateur like you stated but it looks like this should be his first real test. What are your thoughts on Price choosing you as his step up fight?
Well everybody has to start somewhere. I just think it is going to be unfortunate for him that he picked me!

Price is tall at 6'8. Have you been in the ring with many guys with his height and if so, talk about how you have done.
I have been in with a few tall guys. I believe the last guy I fought with that kind of height was a guy named Wallace Mcdaniel. I ended up knocking him out in the first round. All of the guys that are around 6'8 I have knocked out so I don't think I will have a problem adjusting to this guys height. I really just need to go in there with the mentality that I need to either win every second of every round, or knock him flat out. Just beat him so convincingly that they will want to give me the decision if I don't stop him.

Before we wrap this up I want to ask you a few MMA questions. I haven't made it to a live fight of yours but I understand you have been competing in mixed martial arts bouts. What got you into MMA?
MMA has been a way for me to keep fighting. It has been a way for me to stay sharp between my boxing matches. They do MMA at my boxing gym in Rochester so I decided to give it a try. As a fighter it has been hard dealing with the long layoffs that can come in boxing. The opportunity to fight MMA came about so I said why not?

So your still mainly a boxer who also fights MMA, not a former boxer with plans on becoming an MMA fighter?
Oh yeah, I still plan on keeping boxing as my main focus. But like I told the promoter of my last MMA fight, whoever wants to sign the check, I will fight for!

Your record is 2-0 with 2 knockouts. I read on Mnmmanews.com that your last opponent had a little bit of experience as well...
The last guy I fought was supposed to be the toughest of the two because he had been in there with some decorated fighters. Beating him gave me a little bit of confidence but I am still not comfortable enough in MMA to look for the big fights and fighters. I still have a lot of things to learn.

Everybody knows you bring a big puch to the ring. I understand that your last fight did actually go to the ground and you handled the situation and went on to pick up the win. Talk about where your ground game is at right now.
Well I'm not a dumby who is jumping into this sport. MMA isn't my sport and I am just a student in the game right now. Every day I try to learn more and more from the grappling guys. I am just trying to soak everything in and who knows, maybe it can become a second career for me some day.

 

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