Put your own bias aside and look at a potential Ward-Bute fight...

someone school me on butes inside game please?

 

Why would I dislike him for being French-Canadian? I like GSP, he's French Canadian.

Who exactly has Bute beaten to favour him over Ward? Noone. He hasn't fought anyone past the C+ level.

Luongo is good not great. Bieksa being a hypocrite has nothing to do with how good he is at hockey. Edler is an All-Star level D-Man. Burrows is a 30 goal scorer. Sedins are top 10 players in the league. And if that's all the got then why do they have the best record in the league?

 

Non-existent, and Ward would be able to exploit that like he's done so many times before.

It won't be pretty, but it'd be decisive.

 

Exactly.


Ward has not only proved himself against the very best, but he's dominated them (Froch and Kessler). DOMINATED THEM as in leaving NO DOUBT. Bute had to rematch a C-level mummy and even said Librado haunted his mind for long after that first fight.

 

yeah if he has no inside game he is ****ed, i mean if they're right on the inside ward is obviously gunna get the better of it and when they come out of the clinch wards short left hook is a lot quicker/sharper than butes right hook

my prediction ward 9-3 UD.

 

Here we go :

Andre Ward takes your strengths away from you. In this fight Bute's advantage would be the fluidity that he can get his punches off, apart from that I really don't see any clear clut +'s for the Canadian.

So Andre Ward who is a very cerebral fighter as we all know (as well as having a very astute trainer in Virgil Hunter) will look to spoil Bute by fighting up close, almost against his chest.

Ward's under rated footwork will alow him to manouver inside of Bute IMO and push right up against him, where Ward can work his left hook (See Froch fight) and uppercuts (See Kessler fight)

Ward is very much like Hopkins was, due to the fact he'd rather have an incredibly dull W on his record, than a FOTY loss. This means that unlike someone like Froch who will present Bute with offensive chances, Ward's own attacks only come once he's neutralised Bute's.

Bute would be forced to try and push AW off while stepping back, in order to fire off punches, and again; I think Ward's physical strength as well as his educated foot movement (educated as in, he doesn't dance around the ring, each step has a purpose) negates this Bute tactic.

There's always the concept of Ward's head, which I dislike but he does use. In fighting especially against a southpaw will present him with ample excuses/oppertunitys to use his dome. (Same for Bradley in the Pacquaio fight)

That would only be plan A. Bute has a nice fast crisp jab, the only problem I see with that is that Ward has impeccable timing. If Lucian can't establish his jab then he's in for a rough night. Ward has the option of moving, but I wouldn't advise that with Bute. With an undefeated fighter you need to take his confidence from him, so push him back and don't let him fire off anything meaningful, then we'll see what he's made of mentally.

Now Bute :

Bute needs space to win this fight IMO. Defensively he's under-rated and showed in the Glen Johnson fight that he's quite well versed at defending the right cross which alot of southpaws cannot do.

Bute needs to make space, so when Ward comes forward Bute must step to the side and jab to maintain distance, circle to his right as is conventional for a southpaw, pump the jab non stop, once twice thrice etc. The first time Ward gets in close crack him with a right hook after feinting with the left, even intelligent guys with speed fall for feints, it's human nature.

Bute should be careful when throwing his uppercuts, if his range is anything less from perfect he'll get countered. the jab again is key, occupy Ward, concern him with the jab and then bring something heavy behind it.

Hooking off the jab : Pretty much a forgotten art these days, but Bute could do it, again mix it up. Show Ward he hasn't fought anyone with as many dimensions as you, dent his confidence.

Body work, take Ward's legs away. Jab to the head and then hook with the same hand to the body, making sure Bute keeps his left hand by his chin and circles to his right as he hooks. There's an old latin trick that Tito Trinidad used where you hit the opposing fighter on their hip bones, this causes their legs to shake violently, I'd advise it here. Don't worry about sportsmanship, if Ward thought of it, he'd do it to you too.

I see it ending in a boring Ward UD, 9-3 or even 10-2, unless Bute finds a way to dictate the fight.

 

I think Ward will initially look to make Bute the agressor, have him follow him around a bit and fight on the outside. I think he'll particularly look to stay out of that middle range, close the distance quickly and rough Bute up on the inside as well. In and out. But he'll have to be on the look out for that left to the body. And Bute as a southpaw will need to watch out for that head.

I'm not sure which way I'm going, I'm giving Bute more of a chance than many on here. I just think he can hurt Ward to the body and slow him down enough to do some damage.

However, Ward seems to have the innate ability to impose his will on his opponents and make them fight his fight. I can see him doing the same to Bute. Doing the old in out, in out.

I'm on the fence at the moment.

 

Ward had won the olympic gold and a super amateur record behind him, so his talent was pretty obvious and total.

The funny thing is nobody took notice to Ward on here before, nobody. Only when he spanked Kessler, people started taking notice.

 

:thumbsup

 

Nice post SJS, if I had seen it, I wouldn't have bothered with mine. Well done.

 

I have it 50/50, it's a winnable fight for Bute unlike these Wardos would lead you to believe.