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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Steven Butler: "I Am Perfectly Prepared For The Most
Important Moment In My Pro Boxing Career"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL – The more the moment of the truth gets closer, the
more the Montrealer Steven Butler has the conviction that he
will become world champion December 23rd. Butler (28-1-1)
will have the mission to dethrone the Japanese Ryota Murata
(15-2-0) as WBA middleweight (160 pounds) champion of the
world. The fight will be presented in Japan, at the Yokohama
Arena, located at 36 miles from Tokyo.
“I got a perfect training camp for this challenge,” said
Butler in a press conference held Thursday afternoon at the
Ramsay Boxing gym in Montréal. “It will be the most
important moment of my pro boxing career, then, I am
perfectly prepared mentally, physically, technically and
strategically. I know that Murata is a very good opponent,
but I will do the necessary to dethrone him as WBA
middleweight champion of the world. No doubt in my mind, I
will come back in Montréal with the WBA belt in my luggage.”
Butler’s trainer, the former heavyweight Jean-François
Bergeron is more than satisfied by his fighter's
preparation. “Murata is a former Olympic champion who became
pro boxing world champion in 2017, then, we got to take him
very seriously,” said Bergeron. “Steven got a fantastic
training camp and I am positive he will deliver a splendid
performance December 23rd and he is gonna win this world
championship bout. Steven has the talent and the
determination to win significant fights. He proved it
clearly in May 2019 in Las Vegas when he survived to a
knockdown to finally beat the Ukrainian Vitali Kopylenko on
points.”
The promoter Camille Estephan, of The Eye Of The Tiger
Management Group in Montréal, is clearly impatient to be in
Japan. “It’s true, it will be a historic moment in the
Steven Butler’s career,” said Estephan. “I am very proud of
Steven and I know how much he his happy to have this
opportunity to dispute a world championship bout. We know
it’s a huge challenge, but Steven is certainly ready for
this mission. We got serious discussions with the team of
the WBO champion of the world, the Mexican Demetrius
Andrade, but we finally pick the WBA champion of the world.
Steven agreed with our decision.”
Butler said: “Camille is right, I am extremely satisfied to
have this chance to fight for a world title. All my career I
was dreaming to get a chance to become world champion. I saw
Murata in action. He is very talented, but his style is
fitting with my style. My team prepared the perfect strategy
to win it. I am so impatient to be in the ring. I am
positive that my fans will appreciate my performance
December 23rd. No doubt that I have the speed, the
technique, the power, the motivation and the strategy to
become new WBA middleweight champion of the world.”
Murata revealed to Japanese boxing writers his ambitions in
boxing. “I want to take care of Butler, and after, challenge
the biggest names in boxing, like Saul Canelo Alvarez and
Gennady Golovkin,” said Murata. “Obviously, now, I got to be
perfectly concentrated on my next opponent. I know that
Steven Butler is coming in Japan with the serious intention
to surprise me, but he won’t surprise me. I am always
perfectly prepared for significant bouts. I worked very hard
to become WBA middleweight champion of the world, and I will
do everything necessary to stay world champion.”
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