Ward: Bute needs to beat 1 or 2 A-level guys & come out of his hometown to get a shot

Always the same excuse lol...Pathetic. If we started to count all the **** decisions that happened in Usa I would'nt have finish before tommorow...ANY place can have contreversial decision and Canada is'nt worse than Germany nor Usa. Look in your own backyard before talking about others.:hi::nono

 

Actually it's very clear business.
Let's suppose for a minute we are in Ward's skin, overconfident and quite sure his alleged heavenly Daddy would give him a hand in case of need. If he fights Bute right now and wins, there would be no other decent opposition left at SMW -> no public interest in other fights with known outcome, no $$$. He would be almost forced to step up in division, a move which would occur too early in his career. So basically, Ward has to maintain a somehow decent levels of interest in his prospective SMW matches, by shrouding his projects and delaying as much as possible the only meaningful fight left at 168.
On the other hand, some short delay should fit very well also Bute's camp. At present, Bute has two major shots left at SMW except Ward (that is: Froch and Kessler) and fighting any of them would clearly give an extra boost to his CV (not to speak about $$$). It would make little sense for business to have first the top dog Ward then lower the level for Froch or Kessler who already lost to Ward (yes, it is not mathematics, but one has to keep in mind the psychology of the public). It would be also safer for Bute to face a minor danger before the top fight (although he is really confident in his own skills after having "tasted" the S6 final at some meters from the ring and pretty sure he can beat Ward even in Oakland). The difference with respect to Ward is that he has prepared himself for stepping up in division and he has only about 2 years left at SMW, so his clock is ticking faster (he's obviously older, too). An one year delay should be just fine for him, a period during which he could have at least two big fights, enabling Interbox to run for an even more interesting purse for the top fight with Ward.
So it seems perfectly rational for both contenders right now to postpone their fight a little bit (while Bute should still favor a not too late fight) and let the fans excite their imagination up till then. What it is not ok: the BS "reasons" offered by Ward for not facing Bute right now. Trying not to look he's ducking an opponent, he choose to throw mud and that's still lack of fair-play.

For the sake of the sport, I hope not. But if he does, he won't escape Bute so easy since Lucian will probably join the LHW division in a couple of years.

 

They were for sure in their own federation I guess but I thought Ward, Froch, Direll and Kessler were already a solid top 4 (Bute would be the 5th).

 

No, the rankings I've posted where the Divisional Ring Magazine Rankings.

 

You know, in the months leading up to the S6 Final, I agreed with Ward. I thought Bute should fight one of the S6 guys to lead up to a big fight w the winner.

Over the past few months, I've changed my opinion. These guys need to stop wasting boxing fans' time. If you're the best, fight the best, simple. Ward's currently #1 on everyone's list, so it's time to fight #2, which as of right now is Bute.

If Ward's confident, he should be able to take his belts anywhere & fight Bute. I'm pretty sure they could make that fight in Vegas, NYC, or Atlantic City no problem, no excuses.

 

What does Ward define as an A level fighter? Froch? 1 eyed one handed Kessler. Those are B level fighters.

 

I can see Bute being fourth , but there's no way you can put Direll in front of him , no ****ing way :nono

 

Not sure if you can call that clever business. The top guys were in the super six, Ward has fought them, he's the winner of the tournament and the title holder. Bute wasn't in the tournament but he's obviously the other top guy. No other fight makes sense, simply because there is no one left. If he's as good as he says he is, then he needs to fight Bute. or at the most, one tune up fight, then go for Bute, but neither men have many choices aside from the likes of Froch or Kessler.

The Bute fight needs to happen, if not the next fight then the one after. or Let Ward step aside and Froch fight Bute, be sure he will travel to Canada for that as he's in the business to mix it with the best without excuses.

The jury is still out on Mr Ward.

 

When Bute fought Berrio for the IBF Belt, I think Bute war Ranked #3 or #4 by the Ring behind Calzaghe Kessler behind or ahead of Mundine while Berrio was #5 or #6, can't remember exactly 100% sure if the #1 ranked WBC back there Froch was ahead or behind Berrio so I post with an error margin. When Bute fought Andrade for the first time he was ranked #2 behind Kessler and Andrade #3 behind Bute. When Bute fought Johnson, he was ranked #3 behind Ward and Froch while Glen was ranked #5 behind Ward,Froch,Bute,Kessler followed by Stieglitz on the 6th position.

Ps: Bika is now #5 if you look at the current Ring magazine SMW rankings

 

Really ? I never look at those rankings, interesting stuff thank you sir.

Anyway, I don't think we are going to see a Ward-Bute anytime soon. Cause Ward's team is composed of 'smart' dudes.

 

People tends to look at where the former opponents are now. They forget where they were when Bute faced them. I reckon Ward, Kessler, Froch and Dirrell are all better opponents (not Abraham and Green) than Berrio, Bika and Andrade, but when the tournament has began, Bute had done better than all the participants except Kessler. Froch had beaten a green Pascal and a shot Taylor. That was not better than what Bute did. It is not fair to exclude him for 2 years and a half and then say he's not worthy.

 

who is this bum Bute fought in his last fight? the jamaican .. I remember he having 15 losses. Nice way to put up a rusumé Bute...

 

:deal


Also forgot to ask what fight can give him more money?


Not a lot of fighters don't want to get their biggest payday....

 

Well, not quite. The end-2008 Ring SMW ranking looked like this:

1. This content is protected
2. Lucian Bute
3. Librado Andrade
4. Anthony Mundine
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6. This content is protected
7. Sakio Bika
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9. Denis Inkin
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In red, the ones having entered S6 (Ward was not a 2008 top 10 SMW, + Arthur Abraham, coming from MW), in green... Allan Green which came in as replacement. Not quite the "top" list, is it?!

There is no one left except Bute, but as said Ward has to sell somehow his prospective SMW fights and delay as much as possible the top fight. Otherwise, it will be all over too soon.

Froch and Kessler make more sense for Bute, not for Ward. Potential opponents for Ward are Anthony Direll (his mandatory), a Kessler rematch away from Oakland or other warm-up underdogs. Yes, Ward should face Bute if he wants to be rightfully undisputed #1. It might be frustrating to him that the big top fight could turn him in undisputed #2 at SMW, but hey, this is what sport is about.

He still shouldn't have thrown mud at Bute (even if with "all due respect to him and his team" in order to make the mud sweeter). Well, let's say he had a very unfortunate word choice.

 

Not quite, I just didn't thought Andrade would still be Top 5 after his defeat against Kessler (and at that time Calzaghe was number one).
And no way Bute had a better resumé than Taylor or Abraham at the early time of the tournament.