On Saturday, January 28, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, WBA-NABA super welterweight champion Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook (17-0, 10 KOs), from Ajax, Ontario, Canada, fights the Fighting Pride of Montreal, IBF North American super welterweight champion Steven “Bang Bang” Butler (18-0-1, 15 KOs).
Thirty-year-old Cook turned pro in 2011. In only his 10th fight he defeated Fitz Vanderpool to win the vacant Canada super welterweight title. In addition to the WBA-NABA title, he has also held the WBA-NABA super welterweight title.
Twenty-one-year-old Butler turned pro in 2014 and has been busy. He had nine fights that year, five fights in 2015, and four fights in 2016, winning the vacant IBF North American super welterweight in his last outing, a first round TKO over Janks Trotter.
“This is the biggest fight of my life,” said Cook. “I’ve waited for an opportunity like this. He’s coming up. He’s 21. He’s got a good streak, but this is everything I’ve ever wanted. I’m going to put everything I’ve ever done into the fight.”
Cook, like his opponent, has never lost a fight. If he wins this one, he intends to give up his day job and devote himself to boxing full-time.
“I’m looking for a big fight like this to make my career come to the next level so I don’t have to work,” he said. “This fight can get me to that point. We thought we’d take the fight and put everything on the line. If it doesn’t work out, who knows? But I’m not looking at it like that.
“When I leave that night, my hand’s going to have to be raised. I’m not coming to play pitty-patter games with him. I’m coming to try and rip his head off.”
Butler is not only younger than Cook, he is also taller.
“Every time I’ve fought a bigger guy they’ve had a lot of trouble. We’ll see how intense I’ll be, but I’m going to come forward the whole time and try to just beat him up. A bigger guy means it’s a bigger body to hit.”
Despite Butler’s advantages, he is not taking Cook lightly.
“He’s a good fighter,” said Butler about Cook. “He’s got a punch. He can box and do everything. For sure, I’ll use my jab. I’ll see in the first round what he has. I’ll use my jab, my right, everything. I’ll be ready for a war. If he wants to box, I can do that. If he wants to go punch-for-punch, I can do that.
“He has a good punch—but I think I have a better punch.”
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
