Paul Butler eyes world title after another impressive win
Liverpool's Paul Butler remained on course for a potential clash with IBF bantamweight champion Stuart Hall, when he stopped Argentina's Oreste Bernabe Nieva inside four rounds on Saturday night at Aintree Equestrian Centre, Liverpool.
Butler (14-0), who has won British and Commonwealth titles as well as WBO and WBA inter-continental straps at super-flyweight in his last six fights, hit Nieva (15-3-2) with barrages of spiteful shots and finally broke his opponent's resistance in the fourth session when he landed with a crippling left hook to the body.
The 25-year-old is highly ranked by each of the sanctioning bodies at 115lbs but could make an immediate move up to bantamweight if it means challenging for Hall's title.
Also on the card, Kevin Satchell retained his Commonwealth flyweight title with a lop-sided points victory over Ghanaian veteran Isaac Quaye.
Satchell's jab was a potent weapon and Quaye found it very hard to counter, going down by scores of 120-108, 120-109 and 119-110.
Satchell's Red Triangle gym-mates Ryan Farrag and Tom Stalker also both picked up wins. Farrag, now 11-1, stopped faded veteran Jason Booth in the fourth round of their bantamweight contest. The Everton bantamweight floored the former British champion in the first and then finished it as the contest reached halfway. Stalker extended his unbeaten run in the pros to 7-0 after an exciting war with Calum Cooper. The 2012 Olympian hit the Birmingham southpaw with his full arsenal of shots but the hard-as-nails Cooper kept coming and lasted the distance. Referee Mark Lyson awarded Stalker the fight 78-75.
Former Prizefighter lightweight champion Terry Flanagan dominated Hungarian Gyorgi Mizsei over eight rounds while middleweight Ronnie Heffron edged out Scotland's John Thain 96-95.