The end turned into chaos. After Berlanga rocked Butler with left and right hooks, the referee rushed to stop the fight with Butler on his feet. Instead of simply pulling the fighters apart, the official grabbed Butler with enough force that the two crashed together, making for one of the rarest situations seen in a major boxing event this year.
While Butler was lying in a fight with the referee, Berlanga walked over them and picked up his right hand as if he was about to throw another punch. He didn’t throw in the towel, but he showed a quick reaction because the fight was canceled and Butler was protected by the referee.
This sequence quickly spread on social media, most of the fans were criticizing Berlanga’s behavior after the match was stopped while others were focusing on the referee’s intervention. Although the ending looks strange, there was little disagreement that Butler could no longer defend himself when the referee ended the fight.
The win gave Berlanga (24-2, 19 KOs) a significant rebound after his previous loss last year against Hamzah Sheeraz. Butler (38-6-1, 32 KOs) enjoyed his best moments early in the fight.
Berlanga boxed effectively in the opening round, using his jab and movement to keep Butler from closing the distance. He sat outside, took his gun, and appeared confident enough to negotiate with Butler before returning to his corner.
The momentum shifted late in the second. Berlanga landed a hook to the temple followed by a straight right, but Butler answered before the bell with a right hand that sent Berlanga to the canvas. Berlanga quickly got to his feet and assured the referees that it was clear for him to continue, and a knock on the ground gave Butler the power to enter the third.
Instead of guarding, Berlanga came out shooting. Heavy combinations in the third round left Butler hurt, and the New York native continued to pressure the action with hard jabs, left hooks, and straight rights. Butler refused to back down, throwing back whenever opportunities arose, turning the fight into an exchange of power punches.
Berlanga gradually separated himself over the next few rounds. Butler’s toughness enabled him to compete against him, but he struggled to slow down Berlanga’s aggressiveness or match his strong attacks. Almost every successful rally by Butler was answered by another blast from Berlanga.
The tide turned completely in the sixth round. Berlanga dropped Butler near the edge of the frame, leaving the Canadian unsteady as he returned to the corner. It seemed that the end was near.
The end came in the top of the seventh. Berlanga locked Butler in and landed a breaking left hook followed by a right that left him unable to hold on to the ropes. Butler is always straight but he didn’t resist this when Berlanga closed. The referee stepped in between them before Butler could receive further punishment, ending the fight for the badly injured Canadian.
Berlanga’s victory was one of his strongest performances in years because of his reaction to adversity. After a quick blow, he regained control, broke Butler with a strong pressure, and stopped in front of his home crowd.
