The finish turned chaotic. After Berlanga rocked Butler with a left hook and straight right, the referee rushed in to stop the fight with Butler still on his feet. Instead of simply separating the fighters, the official grabbed Butler with enough force that both crashed to the canvas together, creating one of the strangest stoppages seen in a major boxing event this year.
As Butler lay tangled with the referee, Berlanga stepped over them and cocked his right hand as though he was about to throw another punch. He never landed the shot, but the gesture drew an immediate reaction because the fight had already been waved off and Butler was under the referee’s protection.
The sequence spread quickly across social media, with many fans criticizing Berlanga’s conduct after the stoppage while others focused on the referee’s awkward intervention. Although the ending looked bizarre, there was little disagreement that Butler was no longer capable of defending himself when the referee ended the bout.
The victory gave Berlanga (24-2, 19 KOs) an important rebound after his previous defeat a year ago 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 stayed on the outside, picked his shots, and appeared confident enough to exchange words with Butler before returning to his corner.
The momentum changed late in the second. Berlanga landed a left 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 climbed to his feet and assured the referee he was clear to continue, while the knockdown energized Butler heading into the third.
Instead of becoming cautious, Berlanga came out firing. Heavy combinations in the third round left Butler hurt, and the New York native continued pressing the action with hard jabs, left hooks, and straight rights. Butler refused to back down, firing back whenever opportunities appeared, turning the fight into an entertaining exchange of power punches.
Berlanga gradually separated himself over the next few rounds. Butler’s toughness kept him competitive, but he struggled to slow Berlanga’s offense or put together sustained attacks of his own. Nearly every successful rally from Butler was answered by another burst from Berlanga.
The tide fully turned in the sixth round. Berlanga dropped Butler near the end of the frame, leaving the Canadian unsteady as he made his way back to the corner. It appeared the finish was close.
The end came early in the seventh. Berlanga trapped Butler and landed a crushing left hook followed by a straight right that left him helpless against the ropes. Butler remained upright but offered little resistance as Berlanga closed in. The referee stepped between them before Butler could absorb more punishment, ending the fight with the Canadian badly hurt.
The win for Berlanga was one of his strongest performances in recent years because of the way he responded to adversity. After suffering an early knockdown, he regained control, broke Butler down with steady pressure, and produced an emphatic stoppage in front of his hometown crowd.
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