I'd say Stephan Larouche is the one that has the most to say boxing wise and Bute is 100% loyal and confident in everything Stephan says or wants for him...
If Bute/Interbox are trying to protect the "0" and milk that belt as much as possible instead of fighting the best, they are disrespecting and patronising the 13,000+ who come to see him fight every chance they have. They are taking advantage of the good people of Montreal's love and admiration for him. And that would be cynical, ungrateful and perverse. And such an attitude cannot bear good fruit in the long term. If Bute respected, loved and trusted his fans as much as they love, respect and trust him, he would lay it all on the line fighting the best, win or lose, daring to be great, without fearing that the fans would turn their back on him if he came second best. But does he?? BTW, Bute doesn't model himself on Calzaghe as much as on Hatton.
But who honestly gives a **** about the Super6 LOSERS when Bute could be fighting the undisputed light heavyweight CHAMPION.
Ok Guys.. I just red the last 3 pages of the thread, here is what I think about all this! Somebody said that Bute would have 10 fights left until he's 35, fighting at 2 fights a year! Let's see: 1.) Brinkley - 15 oct 2010 2.) Stratison / Stieglitz / loser nr. 1 of Super 6 - feb- march 2011 (one of them obviously) 3.) loser nr.2 of Super 6 / mandatory defence (Mendy) - july 2011 4.) winner of Super 6 - dec. - jan. 2012 5.) Jean Pascal / Chad Dawson june - july 2012 6.) Kessler / Froch / Cloud - nov. dec. 2013 (K and F want to go up to 175 after the end of super 6) 7.) 8.) 9.) 10.) - feel free to make your picks, but if only 2 of 4 fights are against established fighters (what's left? One of Pascal and Dawson, Dirrell, Golovkin maybe in 4,5 y from now... that's it!!!) the dude will be the master of two divisions by the age of 35. Other than the names mentioned above, honestly, is there any opposition left? After he can go up maybe to cruisew. if he desires getting more challenge... No offence but Hopkins is still fighting at 45, I'm not saying Bute will last as long but he can get to 38-40 until retiring... not so bad in my opinion. I think InterBox's plans are not that flawed in the end, of course if the above pattern is followed. Let's get to your 175lb question! Bute doesn't need to go to 175 yet to make money, he can stick around at 168 for now. The weight issue .... + 7lb and then -7lb ... I'm not saying it's undo-able just saying it is uncomfortable and he doesn't need it. Fans will be sad for a while and after he'll win the super 6 winner fight we'll be all loud and happy again!!! Let's give him a chance - 1 year! Peace!
Maxim, are you in Quebeq or not ? Bute an his crew said clearely he has to do "le menage" in his division first. The reasons are obvious: -Pascal is more dangerous and financially is much better to meet him later -There are options to make money and win good fights in his division -Is better to stay in 168 and not fluctuate.He has plenty of time to step un in weight in the final part of carrier Are we clear?
Same thing here : I want to see both Bute and Pascal clean up their division before they face each other
hell yeah..im a bute fan myself....he is the joe calzaghe with power...he's the best smw right now, not that piece of sh1t dirty fighter in ward..
No we aren't clear. All the "reasons" you mentioned sound more like excuses to me. None of them legitimately justify avoiding by far the biggest fight available for him. Even the winner of the Super6 wouldn't represent 50% of what a Bute-Pascal fight would. Both in term of money and recognition.
I don't agree, because I think a fight against the winner of the super 6 would be bigger and better for the boxing industry. The idea of the super 6 was great, but the winner of the tournament have to fight Bute to determine who's the greatest at 168 pounds. We all want that to happen. If Bute moves up to 175 pounds to fight Pascal, people will say he's ducking Ward (or whoever wins the s6). If he stays at 168, people will say he's ducking Pascal. I think he should stay at 168, because he's doing great at that weight so far. It could be a good career move at short term If he moved up and beat Pascal, but what would he do next ? The division is weaker than 168 and his trainer does't like the idea of moving up and down. I agree with them, why risk something like a Jones Jr fiasco ?
Pascal is the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world. The Super 6 winner is... just the winner of a failed tournament.
There is absolutely no reason what so ever to go back down to 168lbs if he beats Pascal. There are plenty of fights to be made at 175lbs. Dawson, Hopkins, Cloud, Shumenov, Pascal rematch, etc.. Not to mention the guys from the Super6 who will have to move up to get any kind of significant fights after the Super6 is over.
Shumenov....:huh... LHW division is filled with high risk low reward and complete noname like Erdei, Murat, etc and grandpa like Hopkins, Jones, Johnson. Except Cloud, Pascal and Dawson, there is not much big fights for him at 175. He should stay at 168lbs and beat Froch, Dirrell, Ward and only go to LHW after this.