Hough goes for belt on Hatton's first promotion by Tom Podmore Jul 28th 2008

Matty Hough is set to challenge for a title on Ricky Hatton's first promotion in September. The 31-year-old Walsall crowdpleaser had originally hinted at retirement after being smashed to a three-round defeat by Birmingham's Max Maxwell for the vacant Midland Area middleweight title in February, indicating that almost 23 years of boxing had taken its toll on him. He admitted that life topping up his tan on the sun-soaked beaches of Majorca was something that appealed to him more than getting hit for a living in damp and dark England. It would for all of us. Hough has had a change of heart, however, and gets the chance to procure his first pro title, the vacant British Masters super-middleweight belt, by taking on Bristol's Danny Butler, undefeated in eleven (two inside), at Edgbaston's Tower Ballroom on September 4. Ricky Hatton, who challenges for his old IBF world light-welterweight belt just over two months later, promotes in association with Ken Purchase's Ringside Promotions. Butler, a former holder of the British Masters strap at light-middleweight, made his 12st debut with an impressive two-round destruction of lanky and capable Jamie Ambler in May. First Team-promoted Hough, 7-3-1 (1), has also boxed the inconsistent Aberystwyth-based 23-year-old, only managing to scrape a four-round draw last November. Though the formline certainly favours the 20-year-old Jane Couch-promoted former Junior ABA champion, trained and managed by Tex Woodward in Gloucestershire, Matty has had ten of his eleven professional outings at the weight or division above – someone used to the demands of the bulk. But Butler, who holds a vacant Masters title win over another Errol Johnson-trained fighter, ‘Brummie Bulldog' Terry Adams, has only had one: weighing five pounds under the limit at 11st 9lbs. Could it prove to be a step too far for the Bristolian? Others on the bill include Dolgellau middle Brock Cato, 2-0 (1), who takes on hard-hitting Worcester trier Steve Cooper, and Bristol first-timer Pete Leworthy, a former Western Counties ABA champion, against Telford's durable former Midland ABA champion, 41-bout Shaun ‘Slasher' Walton. Aberystwyth's Philip Dowse, 2-0, (1), will meet an opponent to be announced. Ticket information for the Birmingham show is available on 07976-842383.

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