Butlin kicks off his career with a win

Dave Butlin

THE pro career of Tamworth’s wildly popular Dave Butlin is up and running.

At Coventry Sports Connexions last night (Saturday), the 28-year-old super-middle kicked off with a win, taking every session of his four rounder against Lithuanian journeyman Genadij Krajevskij.

The bout was made at light-heavy, but 28-year-old Butlin plans to campaign at super-middle.

Krajevskij has the menacing nickname “Baltic Bomber” emblazoned on the waistband of his trunks.

He has now lost 47 in a row and has never had his hand raised in victory. That makes Krajevskij something of a false bomb scare.

But you can only beat what’s placed before you and Butlin stuck to the basics to take the landslide 40-36 decision.

Stiffer tests await the Tamworth newcomer. Butlin will learn the pro game is no holiday camp, if you’ll excuse the pun.

 He is a man doing very well for himself outside the ring. Butlin has a busy and buoyant business career as boss of Bargain Depot, a thriving Birmingham based company buying and selling end-of-line stock.

“I’m 28 and was struggling to fit amateur boxing around my work,” Butlin, who hails from Sutton Coldfield, said. “I think the pros will suit me better.

“I’m confident with Alan Keast in the corner and what he does – there’s that trust basis.”

“I’m very much my own style,” he added. “If someone wants a dog-fight, I’ll stick to my style, I’ll stick to what I know. I’ve got that technical background from the coaches at Tamworth ABC.

“If someone wants a dog-fight I’ll stick to what I know. I don’t go looking for knockouts

 “I think it’s a bit early to make predictions, but I think I can get to British level, certainly Midlands.”