Ramadan Hiseni is truly in the process of building a solid reputation among the Quebec public. After the controversial draw that he strongly disputed against Shamil Khataev, he returned to Quebec more than a year later to face Alexandre Gaumont.
He defeated the Quebec boxer by unanimous decision in front of his home crowd at the Casino du Lac-Leamy.
It was already known that Hiseni does not shy away from challenges. When he addressed the media during his last visit to Quebec, he spoke with great confidence and stated that he had been robbed in the fight against Khataev.
Without taking anything away from Khataev or Gaumont—both are very good boxers, to be sure—they have never truly proven themselves on the international stage.
But when the phone rang once again, Ramadan Hiseni once again showed that he fears nothing. And this time, his opponent will be no ordinary fighter. He will face the fearsome puncher, Steven Butler.
Photo: Facebook – Ramadan Hiseni vs Alexandre Gaumont
Can Hiseni pull it off once again?
As we all know, in boxing, it is extremely difficult to go on the road and win a fight. And although Hiseni did not win in his first appearance on Quebec soil, he still has not suffered a defeat in Quebec.
This time, however, he will clearly be facing the biggest challenge of his career.
Against an opponent like Steven Butler, you cannot hope to get lucky and escape with a victory, because he has what you would call in English a “kill or be killed” style.
Quite simply, a Steven Butler fight means one thing: don’t blink. And when he throws his right hand, watch out.
There is a reason why Steven Butler has won 31 of his 37 victories by knockout. He possesses exceptional punching power—and he loves to use it.
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Stéphane Fondjo vs Steve Butler
But be careful—there is also a reason why his five losses have come by knockout. To the great delight of boxing fans, “Bang Bang” has a flair for the dramatic and loves to put on a show for his audience. But sometimes, that can turn into a poisoned gift. If he fails to take his opponent out in the first half of the fight, he tends to run out of gas. That’s when he becomes vulnerable.
Keys to Victory
For Butler, it’s simple.
At this stage of his career, he cannot change his game plan.
Butler has never worried about who stands in front of him and has always had just one objective: find an opening and land his right hand.
And that is what has worked for him throughout his professional career. He has faced formidable opponents, fought for a world championship, and owns a respectable record of 37-5-1. Under normal circumstances, for Butler, Hiseni is just another opponent.
Sure, he probably doesn’t see it that way right now, but it’s true.
But on the other side, there is a very good reason why Ramadan Hiseni agreed to take this fight.
Photo: Facebook – Ramadan Hiseni vs Jose Rivas
As mentioned earlier, Butler tends to fade as the fight goes on. If Hiseni hopes to win this fight, he will have to dig deep and trust his defense in order to prevail in the later stages of the bout.
But he knows that. Hiseni has only 8 wins inside the distance out of 22. He won’t suddenly try to become a knockout artist.
However, as we saw in the fight between Hiseni and Gaumont, unlike Butler, the Swiss fighter seemed to improve as the fight progressed. And although he does not possess spectacular punching power, Hiseni sent Gaumont to the canvas in the 9th round of their fight.
So the question is a legitimate one: will Hiseni be able to weather the storm, or will Butler simply be too strong?
Photo: Vincent Ethier – Steven Butler
My Predictions
Of course, Hiseni has pulled off the upset more than once on Quebec soil. But we are still talking about Steven Butler here—one of the hardest punchers in the Eye of the Tiger stable.
And as the promotion team has made clear, this has now become personal between Ramadan Hiseni and Eye of the Tiger. Butler therefore has the task of defending his promoter’s honor.
Moreover, Steven Butler has reached a point in his career where he cannot afford to lose to an opponent of this caliber. The fight will be contested for the WBA Continental super-middleweight title, meaning the winner will be ranked among the top fighters in that sanctioning body. If Butler truly wants to finally achieve his dream of becoming a world champion, he absolutely must win this fight.
As far as I’m concerned, there is no doubt in my mind that he will. Hiseni can box, that’s for sure, but I don’t believe he is at Steven Butler’s level—especially if we see a hungry, determined Steven looking to make a statement.
Butler also appears to have a better ability to absorb punches since moving up to 168 pounds.
Photo: Tapology – Ramadan Hiseni
For these reasons, I believe Butler will win by knockout within the first six rounds. Hiseni will come in riding high on his recent performances, and he will face a harsh reality the moment he absorbs the first right hand from “Bang Bang”.
