I am not saying it will be a walk in the park for Bute, but I think he will make the fight easyer with some well placed bodyshots early.
I suggest.. Bute Vs. Dawson Hopkins Vs. Pascal II (LT. HW tournament, Showtime.) Because let's face it, B-Hop needs to be in the ring ASAP, **** waiting another year.
Bute vs Dawson ? That suggestion isn't bad but kind of comes out of the left field... Any news from Dawson ?.
Bute stops Hopkins under 10. Pascal still hasn't learned his lesson about workrate. His big arms felt heavy starting in the 5th, and legs were affected too by that time. Bute's conditioning is an aspect of the game Larouche will never overlook after what happened with Andrade. Rest assured, Bute's body shots (and uppercuts if BHop gets frustrated and rams in over & over) would stop Hopkins. Bute-Pascal in 2013. Watch & shoot.
Word is Gary Shaw is going to do everything in his power to block a "Hopkins Vs. Pascal rematch". Because of a rematch clause between Dawson & Pascal. w/Bute recently having signed to Showtime, I'm sure the execs could grease Shaw & convince him to allow Dawson fight Bute as an interim, Should Lucian look good in his next fight that is... I think it's possible. Bute is fighting @ LHW for his next fight right? (Or did I read incorrect somewhere)
IMO, any guys that will come at Bute will be destroy. Guys that will box Lucian around will be more "problematic" depending on the talent. Dirrell is the guy that have the most chances of beating him, I think. Ward, people are saying that he is versatile and blablabla but he keep doing the same **** fight after fight. He is coming on the inside with, of course, a headbutt as a bonus and then grab. His liver won't survive Lucian. As for Hopkins, he makes everyone look bad, he is simply a genius and I consider myself VERY happy to have seen this living legend live last night. BUT, lucian beats him I think. Hopkins would be too smart to fight the same type of fight that against Pascal cause he knows what will happen. So, Bute-Hopkins would be pretty boring but Lucian gets him in the in the end IMO. No KO here.
I don't want to get swept away by the "Bernard is awesome" wave, which he does deserve, granted, and say that he sh*ts all over Bute, because he wouldn't. I see six rounds of extremely technical boxing, where Bute would use his handspeed and legs to try to potshot Bernard, and then a final six rounds where we find out how much Bute's stamina and pacing has really improved since the first Andrade fight. He is nowhere near as complete a fighter as either Hopkins or Calzaghe, but he has talent, fast hands, and better punch placement skill than Pascal. Then again, Bernard's right hand is built to counter southpaws. It would be a decent fight, if probably a little boring at points.
No way does hopkins fight Bute, he made the mistake with calzaghe, he won't make the same mistake with Bute. But i would love to see it, maybe showtime will help make it. To me pascal is more then likly the next hopkins fight.
Bute is a propped up HBO project, beating Miranda and Andrade, who he struggled with the first time, does not qualify him as a good fighter. First good boxer/puncher KO's him, I think Jermain Taylor may knock him out if they were to fight, even now. I'd bet B.Hopkins to win or a drawatschatsch