Paul Butler vs. Gustavo Molina: Winner, Recap and Reaction

It didn't start well, but Paul Butler (18-1, 9 KO) made sure his bout with Gustavo Molina (19-7) on Saturday ended successfully. After taking a bit of punishment from Molina, Butler rebounded by scoring a fifth-round TKO victory at the Velodrome in Manchester, Lancashire.

Molina's aggression early in the fight seemed to bother the former IBF bantamweight champion, who was in the ring for the first since being stopped by Zolani Tete in March. Sean Krool of Krool's Boxing School noticed Butler's inability to get his shots off:

Molina was playing with house money, as most didn't give him a chance to win the bout. He looked as if he might have an upset up his sleeve, but ultimately, Butler was able to find his sweet spot. 

In the third round, the light came on for Butler. He landed a hard left hand that hurt Molina and seemed to give the 26-year-old Brit some confidence. By the fifth round, Butler seemed to be employing his version of a rope-a-dope style.

Using the ropes to extend just out of Molina's reach, he was able to establish a counterpunching rhythm. The strategy also helped to allow Molina to tire himself out.

Butler landed a hard right hand that badly dazed Molina midway through the frame. Noticing his opponent was hurt, he pounced on Molina with a flurry before the referee stepped in to call a halt to the bout.

Per BoxNation, Molina took umbrage with the referee's decision:

It was a good decision to stop the fight. Molina looked badly hurt and on the verge of hitting the canvas. The momentum had clearly shifted, and Molina was only going to take more damage had the fight not been stopped.

After the fight was over, Butler and his promoter, Frank Warren, felt that finding his range was key to winning the fight:

Butler is a gamer, but he has serious holes in his defense. He takes too many shots, and that will always be problematic against elite fighters. Per BoxRec.com, Butler is already scheduled to face Khalid Yafai on October 17. 

It's clear Warren and Butler's camp don't want their fighter inactive after the devastating loss to Tete. We'll see if it ultimately pays off and leads to another world title.

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