SALUD RECEIVES OFFER FOR TAPALES TO DEFEND WBO BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST FORMER IBF CHAMPION PAUL BUTLER
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 24 Aug 2016
Paul Butler.
Newly crowned WBO bantamweight champion Marlon "The Nightmare" Tapales has received an offer to defend his title against former IBF champion Paul "Baby Faced Assassin" Butler of Britain, who is 27 years old and has a record of 21-1 with 12 knockouts.
Promoter Rex "Wakee" Salud told The Standard that if the fight pushes through it would be sometime in October or November in England. However, "Wakee" hasn't received details of the purse of Tapales and other ancillary rights.
Tapales is coming off a stunning KO victory over champion Pungluang Sor Singyu in which the Filipino got off the canvas twice in round five before turning the tide and eventually blasting the Thai world champion into submission in the 11th round.
WBO official fight supervisor Leon Panoncillo, the Asia Pacific vice president who had earlier predicted a good fight in a conversation with The Standard said "it was one of the best fights I've seen in Thailand."
Panoncillo told The Standard that Pungluang dropped Tapales twice in the 5th round but Tapales rose from the canvas and came back to drop Pungluang in the very next round and as the Thai champion faded in going for a knockout, Tapales capitalized on this and went after Pungluang, the two-time world champion who first won the vacant title with a 9th round knockout of AJ "Bazooka" Banal at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Panoncillo told us "it was a very exciting and very competitive fight."
He said Tapales won "impressively" and came back after he saw Pungluang tiring out and from then on it was all Tapales before he knocked out the Thai champion at 37 seconds into the 11th round.
Butler won the IBF junior bantamweight title with a split decision over Stuart Hall on June 7, 2014 but lost the belt to Zolani Tete of South Africa by an 8th round TKO at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on March 6 last year.
Since that setback Butler has racked up four wins in a row, one by knockout and three by TKO. In his last fight on March 12 this year, Butler scored an impressive 9th round TKO over 24 year old Sebastian "Charrito" Sanchez of Mexico who had a record of 12-1 with 9 knockouts.
Salud also revealed that he had received an offer for Tapales to defend his title against 20 year old Japanese Takuma Inoue who is unbeaten in 7 fights with 2 knockouts. Takuma is the younger brother of WBO world champion Naoya Inoue.
However, Takuma is scheduled to face Filipino Froilan Saludar on September 4. Takuma Inoue is the current Orient Pacific Boxing Fewderation champion having won the vacant title with a victory over another Filipino Mark Anthony Geraldo on July 6, 2015.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Jerald Into Advances in WBC Boxing Grand Prix with Dominant Win Over Ahmad Jones
Sat, 19 Apr 2025Press Conference Notes: Keyshawn Davis Set for Homecoming Title Defense against Edwin De Los Santos at Norfolk's Scope Arena
Sat, 19 Apr 2025JAKE PAUL vs JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR / ZURDO RAMIREZ vs YUNIEL DORTICOS JUNE 28 in ANAHEIM
Sat, 19 Apr 2025June 8: Junto Nakatani-Ryosuke Nishida Bantamweight Unification Showdown Headlines Tokyo Super Card Streaming LIVE on ESPN+
Sat, 19 Apr 2025Thursday’s Action at the 2025 USA Boxing International Open Concludes
Sat, 19 Apr 2025H2O Sylve Returns to the Ring April 26th At Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta Amado Vargas Is Co-Main Live On BLK PRIME
Sat, 19 Apr 2025FM Arca bounces back, defeats IM Laohawirapap of Thailand in 6th round
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 19 Apr 2025SMITH VS. GERMAIN WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER
Fri, 18 Apr 2025WBO #2 WBA #2 Mikiah Kreps on Weight in Seneca Niagara
Fri, 18 Apr 2025UFC® RETURNS TO PRUDENTIAL CENTER IN NEWARK, NEW JERSEY WITH BLOCKBUSER CHAMPIONSHIP DOUBLEHEADER
Fri, 18 Apr 2025AMATEUR HEAVYWEIGHT SENSATION LEO ATANG SIGNS PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM BOXING
Fri, 18 Apr 2025“KING” RYAN GARCIA SAN DIEGO MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
Fri, 18 Apr 2025WEIGHTS FROM ORLANDO FLORIDA
Fri, 18 Apr 2025Super Lightweight Israel Mercado Looks to Keep Momentum Going this Saturday in Long Beach
Fri, 18 Apr 2025Middleweight Slugger Raul Salomon Returns to Action April 19 at Thunder Studios in Long Beach
Fri, 18 Apr 2025