By Mark Froggatt  

Danny Butler is adamant he can return to winning ways in Friday’s light-middleweight Prizefighter event after losing his last two fights to Darren McDermott and Darren Barker.  The tournament, held at Bethnal Green’s York Hall, provides the young Bristol fighter with an opportunity to elevate his name to the higher echelons of British boxing should he come away with victory.

Butler, 22, took part in the middleweight version of Prizefighter back in 2008 where eventual winner Martin Murray knocked him out of the contest in the semi-final on a tight points decision.  However, Butler feels the experience will stand him in good stead this time around.

“I am really looking forward to it,” he revealed.  “Hopefully things will go more my way this time.  I’ve come down a weight and feel a lot stronger for it.  I have the experience from the last one I was in so hopefully that will be an advantage for me over everyone else.

“It’s only little things but some fighters may not be used to the breaks in between stages like the quarters and semi finals, as well as the 3 round fights.  I’ve done it all before; I know what it’s about so that’s good for me.

“I’ve been training really, really hard, training has been excellent.  The preparation, the weight making has all been brilliant.  I’m feeling really good and maybe that will help me in the latter stages.”

He added: “The last two fights I had have been of a high standard against Barker and McDermott.  I have gained a lot of experience out of that, being in with those two, especially Barker, gives you a lot and I have learnt a lot.  The experience I have got from that is really good and I’m hoping to carry that over into Prizefighter.  I’ve had a lot of fights now and hopefully it will all come together on the night.”

The Prizefighter tournament has proven to be a huge success since being launched in 2008 and has provided a fresh format to British boxing.  Previous winners of the tournament include Martin Rogan, Martin Murray and Gavin Rees, who have all gone onto bigger and better things in the sport.

Butler’s long term promoter and friend Jane Couch believes her young prospect has all the makings of a Prizefighter champion and hopes to use the exposure provided as a platform for the future.

“Danny has got a great chance of winning the Prizefighter.  Obviously he has been there before when he fought in the middleweight version and was really unlucky to lose to Martin Murray in the semi, when a lot of people thought Danny had actually won the fight,” stated Couch.

“Although he has lost his last two fights, he was up against a world class opponent in Darren Barker and only lost by a point against McDermott.  I would say he has learnt more in his last two fights than he has in his entire career, it’s a learning curve and he’s in a much better place for it now.  So he has as good a chance of winning as anyone”

Couch added: “If he wins Prizefighter then he will be contracted to Matchroom, we work very closely with them anyway through our promotion company Blackeye.  They are fantastic with Danny, you can’t fault them they have been brilliant.  So if Danny wins Prizefighter I’m he will move on to either an English or a British title fight.

“He has been nominated to box for the Southern area title whatever happens in the Prizefighter but that is at middleweight, so its up to Danny whether he goes back up to middleweight, but like I say, he has the best promoters in the country to decide that for him if he does win.  We’ll back Matchroom all the way and we are behind them 110%.”

A sentiment echoed by Butler, who concluded: “The winner of the Prizefighter series gets a much higher profile, it raises your profile immediately.  It makes a massive name for yourself so for me to go on and win it would be excellent and would open up other doors for me to work with better people and get the bigger fights.

“Nobody wants a loss on their record and I don’t one another one to go on there so I’m going to make sure I give it 110%, not to avoid a loss but to win the Prizefighter.  I’m going to give it my all and bounce back to show everybody what I’m all about.”