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Cook beats Butler with seventh round TKO for light middleweight titles

Jan 28, 2017 | 10:30 PM

MONTREAL — Toronto’s Brandon Cook earned a TKO win over Montreal’s Steven Butler on Saturday night three minutes into the seventh round of their light middleweight showdown.

They are rated as Canada’s top two 154-pound boxers and each put a North American title on the line — Butler’s from the IBF and Cook’s from the WBA.

Butler was caught by a hard right hook, then a left hook. Referee Marlin B. Wright stopped the fight even though Butler was back to his feet before the 10 count although still visibly wobbly.

Many fights broke out among fans at Montreal’s Bell Centre after the final bell, with Cook getting hit in the face by an ice bucket.