BUTLER READY TO SILENCE DOUBTERS
By Jesse Kelley
9.08.09

Raphael "The Silencer" Butler (34-8) will headline Saturday's pro-am boxing card in Rochester, MN. For Butler, it will be the fifth time he has been featured in his hometown as a pro. The bout, which pits Butler against Detroit Lakes born Marcus Rhode (34-38-2) will be a way for Butler to step in the ring for the first time in 2009 as he prepares for his showdown with Joey Abell, which is rumored for November.
Butler had high hopes to break onto the national scene in 2008 but losses to Eddie Chambers (35-1) and Malik Scott (32-0) coupled with two shocking decision defeats to Homero Fonseca (7-2-2) derailed those plans as he went 5 and 4 for the year.
Butler shared his thoughts and opinions on those losses and the mega MN fight between he and Abell as the weekend fast approaches.

You talked about your first fight with Fonseca in our last interview. Talk about the rematch.
The rematch...I really felt I should have won the rematch. I feel like I won the first fight with him too but I am not as upset that it happened to go his way in the first one as I am in the second. I beat the hell out of that dude in the second fight and they still gave him the fight again so what do you do?

Was he throwing punches but not landing? What was he doing that could have given the judges reason to give him rounds?
He was trying to punch back, but unlike the first fight, I could move this time (Butler said he had a back injury in the first bout). So a lot of the punches he was throwing, he was missing with. I was dodging most of his punches. I was making him miss and making him pay for missing. I beat that guy's ass. Like I said, it was the same place (Houston) and the same people both times.

You faced undefeated Malik Scott on the Versus network in your next fight. Tell us about that fight.
I know it might sound bias or something by me saying that I thought I won all these fights but I really believe that this fight was close. I felt like I came away with the first five rounds, at least four. The fight was real close in my opinion. Over the last five or six rounds he started to pick it up but it was still close. I admit the last few rounds went to him but I thought I did enough in the first half of the fight to take it home but I didn't end up getting the win.
(Official scores read 72-80 | judge: Marty Denkin 72-80 | judge: David Mendoza 73-79, source boxrec.com)

Is it frusterating to feel like you won some of these fights that don't end up going your way? Describe your thoughts when they announce the other guy is the winner?
Yeah it is a downer because when other fight opportunities come up, those fights will show on my record. So some of the people that see my record are probably going to think that I am not deserving to fight these top guys out there. Everybody wants to win, and everbody feels good when they do win. So when you have a loss or two on your record that you feel you won, it is kind of frustrating. I've been boxing ten, almost eleven years now though so I am used to that by now (laughing).

It was recently announced that you will be facing Joey Abell in November (exact date and location still open). What are your thoughts on the big showdown?
A fight like this is like a comeback fight. It is a fight to show people that I can still fight. Joey is definitely not a slouch. Joey is a good fighter who has an excellent record which I think is better then mine at this point. So to beat a guy like Joey Abell would look very good on my record. So why wouldn't I take the fight if it is being offered to me?

You and Joey have been considered the top heavyweights through the amateur ranks and now as pros here in MN for years. In fact, the two of you have fought before as amateurs. Both you and Joey have stated that there is no bad blood between the two of you. Would you say there is a friendly rivalry because of the past?
People are making this out as a fight that has been 7 years in the making because me and Joey fought when I was 18 years old. He beat me but it was a real close fight. So people are kind of looking at this as a rematch fight but I personally don't look at it that way. I look at it like Joey Abell was gone after I won the Golden Gloves. I think that shows that if we had fought again as amateurs, I would have won. You definitely shouldn't hold grudges though for 7 years and that would be a long time to hold a grudge (laughing)! So I'm not looking at it that way. Joey is a good guy. Like I told you in the other interview, I would fight him if everything was correct and if it was a good time in our careers to do it and it seems like this is a good time right now. I am trying to get my career back on track and Joey is trying to fix the flaws in his career. I really think this is the right fight for both of us at this point.

A win would most likely line the winner up with a big fight somewhere nationally. Do you consider this a must win fight for the both of you at this point in your careers?
People are saying that a loss for either of us could end the others career at this point. They say my career has been slipping and that he has several fights he shouldn't have lost. I know what I am capable of and really, Joey hasn't lost to anybody that can't fight. He lost to Al Cole but Al is a tough old dude. If you don't knock him out, it is hard to beat him. In the Andrew Greeley loss, look at the guys Greeley has lost to. He has only lost to top prospects. Greeley is not a bad fighter and I told Joey that before the fight. I told him not to look at his record and think it was going to be an easy fight. You gotta go in there and woop that dude. Joey was beating him good but he got over confident. I know I have a few losses also, but that doesn't change my beliefs that I can beat anybody out there.

Before you face Abell, you are set to fight this Saturday in Rochester, MN. What can you tell us about your opponent Marcus Rhode?
He is a guy that knows how to fight but I don't think it will be anything more then a warm up fight for Joey Abell at this point. Rhode does know how to fight but he shouldn't be able to beat me. I look forward to putting on a good show for the fans that make it out to the fight.

The undercard of course features the intriguing bout between Dave Peterson (10-0) and Corey Rodriquez (4-0). Look for those interviews to be posted shortly. Rochester's Scott Ball also makes his comeback official. No opponent has been officially listed but I was told Mike Davis will be the man. I will look for confirmation on that today. Mike Howell is also listed to box.