Steven Butler vs Patrice Volny Preview
Steven “Bang Bang” Butler and Patrice “Vicious” Volny clash in middleweight action at the Cabaret Du Casino Montreal on June 6. The vacant WBC Francophone Middleweight title will be on the line, as these two Montrealers fight for gold and the bragging rights of their town. A win for either of these fighters would propel them onto the world stage.
This is a fight fans have been clamouring for as the Canadians climb the ranks. Bang Bang and Vicious are now ranked first and second in the nation respectively according to BoxRec’s middleweight rankings. A title, a place in the world rankings, and a hero’s welcome wait for one of these Quebecois.
Steven Butler vs Patrice Volny Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Butler enters this fight after storming through former number two-ranked Steve Rolls in March. Bang Bang landed an overhand right before unleashing a barrage of left hooks to end the fight after 65 seconds. In doing so, Butler established himself as the top middleweight in Canada and made it two finishes in two fights. He has a record of 34-4-1.
Volny enters this fight on the back of a win. The 34-year-old put away DeAndre Ware inside 10 rounds in February. Before that, it took him three rounds to finish Abraham Juarez Ramirez when he faced the Mexican in May 2023. Vicious extended his record to 18-1 with 12 KO victories.
Despite being six years his junior, Butler is the more experienced fighter by some margin. The former WBO world middleweight championship challenger has 39 fights to Volny’s 19. He has proven to be a formidable power puncher with 28 of his wins coming via KO/TKO. Butler is no stranger to the world stage, having fought Zhanibek Alimkhanuly for the WBO world title in May last year. This will be his third straight fight at the Montreal Casino and Bang Bang will feel right at home under the bright lights.
Volny may not share Butler’s experience in the ring, but he’s already made a splash in the middleweight division. Four of his last five wins have come via KO/TKO or stoppage. Nobody stopped him and his only defeat is contentious at best. He fought Esquiva Falcão on the undercard of the Terrence Crawford vs Shawn Porter in November 2021. The clash was the biggest of Volny’s career, appearing as the penultimate fight on the card. However, an accidental headbutt from the Canadian in the sixth round opened a gash on Falcao’s head. After much deliberation with the ringside physician, they stopped the fight and awarded it to Falcao via a technical decision.
Butler’s KO loss to Alimkhanuly for the WBO world middleweight championship in May was tough. Bang Bang hit the deck three times in 90 seconds in round two before the referee waved it off. Returning from those defeats is tough for fighters, especially those as seasoned as Butler. However, he has returned strongly with two TKO/KO victories, the most impressive coming against Rolls in March.
These two fighters share a couple of opponents in common. Both middleweights defeated Uriel Gonzalez and Janks Trotter. However, the stories of both fights played out differently. Gonzalez took Volny to the bell, but the Canadian triumphed by a unanimous decision. He fought Trotter 17 months later and worked hard to secure a TKO victory in the fifth round. Butler, on the other hand, cleared both fighters in the first round. Those KO and TKO victories bode well for Bang Bang heading into this fight and prove a further warning to Volny of his power.
Steven Butler vs Patrice Volny Prediction
Fight Prediction: Butler by KO/TKO
This is an extremely tight contest between the top two middleweights in the country. Our online sportsbook has Butler as the slight favourite. Volny’s only loss has come via a TD not even halfway through the fight. Falcao was his toughest test, but we did not see a true contest. Butler has fought more experienced boxers than Vicious. His victory over Steve Rolls was impressive, and he takes that momentum into the Montreal Casino. Our boxing prediction is for Butler to beat Volny via KO/TKO.
The switch-up in competition is too much for Volny here. His last opponent, DeAndre Ware, pales in comparison to Butler. Ware’s career win percentage is 69% while Butler’s is 87%. Delving deeper into that metric, Steve Rolls, Butler’s last opponent, has a win percentage of 84%. Bang Bang looks more prepared to fight an opponent of Volny’s calibre than vice versa.
However, there has to be some worry surrounding Butler’s knockout loss record. At just 28 years old, Butler has been knocked out in four contests over 39 fights. Most professional boxers have a finite number of lights-out moments before it catches up to them. Volny has proven his knockout power with 12 KOs in 18 fights. Bang Bang’s last fight was over before it became a real test, but Volny will fight smarter.
Steven Butler vs Patrice Volny Betting Picks
A bet on Butler to win offers small returns with the former world title challenger priced at 1/2. Our betting site prices Volny just over evens at 6/4 and those odds will shorten by the time the bell rings. We are predicting a KO/TKO victory for Butler.
Volny is yet to be finished in the ring, but he hasn’t met a power puncher like Butler. He has a knockout percentage of 82.35%. That will be higher than any of Volny’s previous opponents. Bang Bang is a fighter who punches on the front foot. An in-your-face pressure fighter, Volny is the perfect foil for him. Vicious covers up when facing a barrage instead of using head movement. This plays into Butler’s hand. A bet on Butler to win via KO in round three or four is the best longshot wager. Six of his last seven KO/TKO victories have come inside the first three rounds.
However, Volny will be prepared for Butler to come flying out of the blocks and apply pressure in the early rounds. We usually see Volny conserve his stamina and step forward in the mid-rounds. The longer this fight goes on, the more the odds swing in his favour. Waiting for the live betting markets could be beneficial for betting on Volny.
Our boxing betting markets offer plenty of opportunities to wager on this exciting fight. New customers can sign up using our welcome bonus to bet with reduced risk. We will match your first deposit 100% up to $500.
Steven Butler vs Patrice Volny Outcome
Steven Butler will fight as he usually does by applying constant pressure to Volny. However, that is exactly what Volny will be looking for. Vicious likes to allow his opponents to push him during the opening rounds, conserving his stamina. He has not fought a power puncher like Butler. Butler’s pressure will be unlike anything Volny has faced in his career. Bang Bang will try to get him out of there early. However, Volny’s game plan will drag Butler through to the mid-rounds. If he succeeds, this is when he will put his foot on the gas.
FIGHT WEEK🇨🇦
Un seul régnera, mais 8 gros combats dont 4 de championnat au programme ce jeudi, dès 18h30!
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Last man standing, with 8 huge fights, including 4 championship showdowns this Thursday, starting live at 6:30PM!#ButlerVolny | #EottmArmy pic.twitter.com/kyitZReld8— Eye of the Tiger (@eottm_boxing) June 3, 2024
All of Volny’s ten-round fights have reached the final round, discounting the TD loss to Falcao. He has won them all. The longer this fight goes on, the more trouble Butler will be in, despite entering as the favourite. However, Butler’s power and experience will be enough to stop Vicious from dragging him into murky waters. Bang Bang is the biggest test of Volny’s career and will prove too tough for him.
Steven Butler vs Patrice Volny Full Fight Card
The rest of this card works as a showcase for some exciting young talent. Five fighters enter with undefeated professional records, with three losing just once. A pair of exciting lightweight bouts kick the night off.
Luis Santana enters his hometown unbeaten. He will face Guillermo Leonel Crocco, who looks to bounce back from two successive defeats. Jhon Orobio will be the fourth fighter on the card to represent Montreal when he faces Jose de Leon Jasso. The 20-year-old Colombian-born Quebecois is 9-0 with eight knockouts.
Movladdin Biyarslanov and Shamil Khataev will put their undefeated streaks on the line. They face Elias Mauricio Haedo and Ramadan Hiseni, at super lightweight and middleweight.
Butler and Volny will be the penultimate fight of the night before we welcome Osleys Iglesias and Evgeny Shvedenko. Iglesias has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting super middleweights on the planet. The 26-year-old has a 10-0 record with nine knockouts. He will defend his IBO World Super Middleweight title and climb inside the top five world rankings with a victory.
