Andre Ward vs. Lucian Bute.

Ward UD or late stoppage

 

Look at the two times Bute has been really hurt, Andrade and Froch, and look at how they were able to get to Bute. All in all, I just think that Froch is an absolute nightmare for Bute, and will knock him out again in Canada. However, You forget that Bute likes fighters who come to him, and Ward will be wary of Bute's power.

Agreed, he is excellent at closing the distance and will get to Bute. However, Bute handled Bika and Glen Johnson fairly well, and took some shots of Glen Johnson, who I think is a bigger puncher than Ward. Stop with the one fully operating hand bull****, he throw that left hand all night long. If you want an example of a broken hand, look at Mayweather-Hernandez. I think Ward's smothering and spoiling would win a decision, but Bute is a live underdog

 

Styles don't make fights on ESB, Triangle Theories do

 

Considering Bute's lack of tough opposition, it may not be entirely accurate to say the only way to get to him would be to walk through him like Andrade and Froch did. Don't know how many times I have to keep repeating this.

Johnson? That was just a glorified sparring session for Bute - who I admit did tame Johnson well. But it's a ****-poor comparison to make because, firstly, Johnson doesn't have anywhere near the capabilities of Ward. He walks through shots, whereas Ward doesn't. Ward slips, slides, ducks, lunges and headbutts his way in. And second, Johnson hardly even put in any work that night for us to factor in his punching power. What use is Johnson having more power than Ward (in this discussion), if he didn't even hardly throw or land? And I haven't seen the Bika fight for a loooong time to make any comments/comparisons.

Regarding the hand, he limited the use of it in the second half of the fight. I didn't ask for an example of a broken hand. Nor did I even say Ward's was broken. I said it wasn't fully operating: meaning it wasn't at 100%, and thus its effectiveness was reduced when he used it in the latter rounds.

The safe bet would be a clear Ward UD. But I'm gonna' be bold, and pick a late stoppage if the best of Ward turns up. One that's supposedly beginning to sit down on punches - something Nazim Richardson warned us about before the Dawson fight.

 

If Bute beats Froch in a re-match, we could find out

 

Who knows. We know Ward didn't want to.

 

Ward by 12-0 decision

 

Bute's competition isn't that much weaker than Ward's? He fought Johnson, Bika, Berrio and Froch.

Ward fought Kessler, Froch, Bika and Abraham

Of course Kessler is the difference, but it's not that big a difference? Just because Ward fought those guys in a tournament format, doesn't make them any better?

He got beaten once by Froch in a devastating fashion, but remember that Bute took a huge risk that Ward hasn't, and travelled into Froch's backyard. Ward fought Froch with home advantage yet again.

The win over Kessler is the big difference, and I would favour Kessler to KO Bute as well, but that doesn't have a bearing on this fight, as Kessler and Ward are nothing alike.

No Johnson doesn't, but I was pointing out that Johnson is a bigger puncher than Ward, and he landed some good shots on Bute, and he wasn't able to really hurt him, I don't see Ward getting Bute out of there, especially by late stoppage, as Ward's stamina isn't great either.

Bute is a skillful counter puncher, who throws out of the southpaw stance, that creates problems in itself. Though I think Ward would get inside and do the better work, which would win rounds.

He was throwing the left hand fine, it wasn't a factor in the fight at all Ward became less effective because he was running out of gas, which is why Froch took the Championship rounds. I'm not saying Ward's stamina is poor, but if someone slow and mechanical like Froch could wear him out, I'd have loved to see how he would have tried to neutralise Calzaghe's work-rate and the frantic pace he set.

Interesting point by Nazim, the KO of Dawson doesn't mean much as Dawson is a corpse at 168, but we'll see if Ward starts scoring KO's over legit opponents.

 

Excellent posts, KO artist :good

Bute also looked better against common opponents.......well besides Froch lad of course.

 

Some excellent points KA.

I think Bute could hold his own and stay within two or three points for maybe seven rounds,but if you had to pick one fighter to find and exploit a weakness when they're hard to find,it'd be Ward.
Allowing for the drain issue,Ward still gave a perfect anti-southpaw performance against Chad,and he can stay compact to neuter Bute's body shots.I think once Bute finds that nothing is working,Ward starts to find him by slipping and coming back with right hooks and staying well away from Bute's right in the process.
I think Bute would do OK at first but get pulled out on his feet by Larouche with a badly swollen left side of his face around the 10th or 11th.

 

In Oakland :hat

 

Wards should be alert for Bute's body shots, but i see this going the distance with a UD 116-112 to Ward

 

Both fighters like their opponents to come to them and the counter, could start of like a chess match very tactical , who would fold first and come forward? Bute maybe? As in the froch fight froch stood back not giving Bute much to go with which kinda erked Bute. Bute may have the better stamina but not by too much. Mid rds is where i see ward pull away

 

That actually makes this fight LESS likely.

Ward doesn't seem to be interested in Bute b/c his style is such that Ward could not impose his infighting while Bute is firing uppercuts to his ribs, liver and chin. Ward would have to fight off the backfoot vs Bute and that puts him at a serious disadvantage.

However, IF Bute loses vs Froch in Canada, and IF Froch is able to expose Bute's chin again, that would actually give Ward hope in a Bute fight, that he could essentially go guns ablazing and stop Bute, overpower him.

Too many ? marks surrounding the Nottingham fight. The unbiased fan looks at Bute's history with Andrade, Golovkin etc and sees that fight as proof that Bute is chinny and was protected.
To Bute's fans, it seems as if Bute was overwhelmed by the crowd, and being booooooed, rather than Buuuuuuuute'd got in his head and off his game.

For a guy with suspect whiskers, not being wholly focused on protecting that chin is detrimental.

 

And for the record........


Bute KO 8-10 Ward.:deal