Paul Butler has shut down suggestions 'ring rust' might be a factor in his fight with Naoya Inoue and explained why he is 'quietly confident' ahead of the mega showdown.
Butler faces the biggest fight of his professional career when he takes on Inoue for the undisputed bantamweight title in Tokyo tomorrow. The 'Baby Faced Assassin', who was elevated from interim to full WBO champion in May, arrived in Japan on Monday as preparations for the bout continue.
Inoue made history back in June when he beat Nonito Donaire in a second-round technical knockout to became the first Japanese boxer to hold a world title from three different sanctioning bodies in a single weight division. Butler, however, hasn’t fought since beating Jonas Sultan at the M&S Bank Arena back in April, and some believe the 34-year-old could suffer as a result of his inactivity.
READ MORE: Joe Gallagher calls on Paul Butler to write his own Rocky story when he faces Naoya Inoue
READ MORE: Anfield could get huge boxing first if megafight rematch comes to fruition
But when asked about the claim by the ECHO, Butler shut down the suggestion and believes it is nothing more than a 's**t' excuse.
“I don’t get ring rust. I don’t believe in ring rust. I never have and I never will,” he fired back.
“If you are ready and you are sharp and you have had the right training and right sparring, I don’t believe in ring rust. I never have and I never will. I think it is a s**t excuse to be fair.”
Inoue, nicknamed 'The Monster' has won all 23 of his bouts since he turned professional a decade ago – 20 of them by knockout – but Butler is 'quietly confident' he can cause a huge upset and write his name into the history books as a result.
“There is absolutely no pressure on me at all. No one believes I am going to win,” he said. “I am happy here just getting on with my job and doing my little thing.
“Listen, I am quietly confident. I know it is a big task and I know I have got to be switched on for 36 minutes. If I switch for five or 10 seconds it will be lights out. Games over. But listen, I have signed up for this and I wouldn’t want to be in any place.”
READ MORE:
