Exclusive Interview With Raphael Butler – “This Fight Is Different From All My Other Fights.”

by James Slater: 24-year-old heavyweight Raphael Butler, 31-4(24) gets what is without doubt the biggest opportunity of his four year long pro career this coming June, when he faces the returning “Fast” Eddie Chambers on the 20th. Currently just one week into his preparations for the fight, the very polite and accommodating Butler kindly took time out to speak over the phone with this writer on Wednesday (May 7th)..

Here is what the big guy had to say.

James Slater: Firstly, Raphael, how has training been going for the Eddie Chambers fight so far?

Raphael Butler: It’s been going real good. I’m actually only one week into intense training at the moment.

J.S: So you haven’t started sparring yet then?

R.B: No, not yet. I’m not sure who I’ll be working with when I do. Obviously my team will get me some fast guys to get me ready for Chambers. Right now they’re looking to see who is available.

J.S: What do you think of Eddie Chambers as a fighter?

R.B: To be totally honest with you, I’ve always liked Eddie Chambers. I like him and I respect him. He’s fast and he does what he does in the ring. You know, it’s kind of sad that I’ll have to take him out of his game, but I have to to get my spot. I respect him, but all that respect has to go out the door come fight time.

J.S: This is the biggest fight of your career, have you been waiting for this chance for a while?

R.B: Oh, yes. I’m motivated for this fight like never before. I’m motivated to train properly for this fight. This one is different from all my other fights. I’m going in with a guy who can really fight.

J.S: Chambers is quite small for a heavyweight at around 218 pounds. You are the bigger guy, but what will you weigh for this fight?

R.B: I will weigh around 245 to 250 pounds, somewhere around there.

J.S: So being the bigger guy, as well as the bigger puncher – 24 KO’s to Chamber’s 16 – does that mean you’ll be looking for the KO win?

R.B: No, I can’t look for the knockout. His team will have worked on a style where they will assume I’ll be trying for the KO, so I can’t fight that way. I mean, if a KO comes, great. That will be great for me and for the T.V audience. But I won’t be looking for it. Just as long as I get the win, that’s all that matters.

J.S: Have you been watching tapes of Chambers?

R.B: I’ve watched a couple. But I know his style anyway. I’ve had a game-plan on how to fight Chambers for a while now. We watched the Povetkin fight to see what he did wrong and how Povetkin took his out of his game-plan. But we pretty much already have a game-plan in mind.

J.S: Just going back, what was your amateur record?

R.B: I’m not really sure (laughs). I think I had around 40-plus fights, and I won around 80% of them. My style was more suited to the pro game, so I turned pro. I did win the 2004 Golden gloves though.

J.S: And as a pro, who would you say is the toughest guy you’ve faced?

R.B: A guy named Louis Monaco ( a DQ win in six rounds). He took some shots and just kept coming. He spat his mouthpiece out about eight times during the six rounds (laughs), to buy time. But he really took some shots.

J.S: I see you have won six in a row since your loss to Art Binkowski (an 8th round TKO loss for Butler). You had him down three times in the 1st round, then what happened?

R.B: I could try and make loads of excuses for that loss, but he just threw me off my game-plan and stuck to his. I really do feel I’ve learnt a lot from that fight.

J.S: For fans who have not yet seen you fight, how would you describe your style?

R.B: I’m a boxer/puncher. But I’m looking more to the boxing side now. People have seen I can punch, but I can box too and I want to show it. That’s another reason I’m excited about the Eddie Chambers fight – he’s going to make me box. I feel my jab is my best punch right now, I’ve actually put guys down with it. So I’m looking to use that punch a lot more.

J.S: I know you won’t really want to look past Chambers, but if you win what do you think it will lead to for you?

R.B: Well, yeah, I hate to look past a fight. God willing I’ll win this one and then I’ll leave it to my team to decide [who I fight then]. I trust my team with my whole being and they will decide for me. I’m not going to call anybody out, I have too much respect for all my fellow boxers for that.

J.S: It’s been great speaking with you, Raphael, and good luck for the 20th.

R.B: Thank you. Bye.