Butlin, Howells in an early Xmas cracker

Dave Butlin after Sunday’s entertaining six round victory

MIDLANDS light-heavyweight champ Dave Butlin was given the perfect test by Stratford’s Lewis Howells before putting his title on the line.

And the Tamworth hope, now unbeaten in seven, had to work for his win on Sunday’s “Jingle Brawls” bill at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport.

Howells, from Newport, Wales, but now residing in Shakespeare country, caught him with counters off the ropes and played his part in an entertaining six rounder. Lewis took a round on referee Chris Dean’s 59-55 card.

There’s a degree of frustration in watching Howells, a former fine amateur who represented his country.

He possesses undeniable ability and showed it by swaying effortlessly under Butlin’s big shots. It’s the 24/7 commitment needed by a champ that’s missing.

At middleweight, he could be a threat. At light-heavy, he’s too small to put a real dent in good opponents. Butlin bulldozed forward, throwing hefty left hooks with real spite as if he knew he could take what was coming back.

Lewis scaled 12st 9lbs for this one, while Butlin, at 12st 12lbs, appeared to be carrying excess baggage.

Howells also appeared to fight in spurts, allowing Butler to grab the initiative before answering back with quick combinations. He’d end rounds with a flurry.

He can, however, be pleased with his contribution to an absorbing contest. He wasn’t hurt, he emerged unscathed.

Butlin, who will defend his belt against Chris King in the new year, was all business from the start, looking to land those left hooks to the body.

In the second Howells retreated to the ropes, covered-up under a storm of leather, then fired back.

Lewis Howells…played his part in Holiday Inn main event

It was a Rhondda version of rope-a-dope – and it worked for him throughout the bout.

The trouble was, Howells didn’t possess the power to keep Butlin at bay: Dave simply kept coming.

The champ found another gear in the third as he hurled hooks up and down. Howells swayed and slipped and answered back with rapid, short bursts in an all-action session.

Butlin had the Welshman pinned against the ropes in the fourth and fifth, shrugging off the flak that came his way, although a fast flurry brought blood from his nose.

Dave landed a hard right uppercut in the last as Howells attempted to re-establish his jab and thumped downstairs.

At the final bell Butlin knew he’d been in a fight. Contender Chris King, watching from ringside, will have realised he’s in for a hard night.