Temple student Daiyaan Butt (10-1, 5KOs) is living the dream.
As a first grader, he stood in front of his classmates on career day and declared he would become a boxer. When asked “why a boxer?” He responded he regularly watches Mike Tyson and Roberto Duran with his father which inspired his dream.
Butt will go toe-to-toe with Bryce Mills, of Liverpool, NY, (7-1, 4 KO’s) at Live! Casino & Hotel in South Philadelphia on Thursday, February 24.
A boxer is not the only way that Butt wants to be remembered. He wants to be more than just a boxer. When asked about his hopes and dreams in boxing, Butt responded: “I don’t want to be labeled as just a boxer,” citing Muhammad Ali as an example. He wants to us his platform to make this world a better place.
As a junior at Temple University, Butt is studying Management Information Systems (MIS). He wants to be the leader of his own career inside the ring and outside the ring. He wants to use what he is learning at Temple University in their Fox School of Business and apply it to the business side of boxing.
With a great understanding with how money and finance works he will be able to make sure he understands his value and getting what he deserves. He enjoys learning new things, but enjoys it more when he can it apply it in everyday life.
Butt admits getting his hand raised is a great accomplishment in the ring, he also loves learning new skills in the gym and applying it the next sparring session or fight is just as gratifying.
ADDITIONAL Q&A with DAIYANN BUTT:
What is the biggest life lesson you have learned in boxing?
“You can’t take anything for granted in life in general but boxing taught that because in boxing it only takes one punch and that translates to life, next thing you know you could be on top of the world and then a your nobody.”
Is there current or former fighters that you took pieces of their style from and implemented into your style?
“Yes and no, yea obviously I look at great fighters and different fighters and take what they do and see if it works for myself but at the end of the day you have to be your own fighter and different person. You do not want to be a factory car and be the same as everyone else, you want to be your own person a little different, a little spice and twist in it. Yea I watch fighter and I’ll take little things that they do but you have to put your own style and twist with it. My style is a pure boxer puncher.”
The live boxing event, which is produced in partnership between Joe Hand Promotions and Russel Peltz, will feature a six round heavyweight bout between Sonny Conto (8-0, 7 KOs) out of Philadelphia, PA going up against Mike Marshall (6-2-1, 4 KOs) fighting out of Danbury.
Super lightweights Christopher Burgos (3-4-1, 1 KO) of North Philadelphia, PA will battle Carlos Marrero (2-6-3) out of Bridgeport, CT in a six round bout.
Another bout on the card is a six round featherweight contest between Justice Bland (5-1, 2 KO’s) out of Brooklyn, NY going up against D’Angelo Fuentes (6-0, 4 KOs) fighting out of Coconut Creek, FL.
Also on the card is a four round lightweight bout featuring Jordon Murphy (1-0, 1 KO) out of Deerfield Beach, FL going against Nasir Mickens (2-0, 1 KO) out of Philadelphia.
For press credentials contact Bam McCloskey at Brittany@JoeHandPromotions.com.
Tickets at $50, $75 and $125 are on sale now at https://philadelphia.livecasinohotel.com/events-and-shows/joe-hand-boxing and at AXS.com or by calling 215-364-9000. Must be 21 or older to attend.