FINAL and OFFICIAL: Lucian Bute v. Librado Andrade - Fri, 24th Oct, on Showtime!

Will Andrade prove tough and lively enough to margarito Bute?

Please vote and explain your choice.:thumbsup

 

Andrade has been improving steadily since Kessler.

Against the Dane, he was just happy to take part in a title fight. Now, he's come to win. He is ambitious and will give his all, as he said he would.

He will do whatever it takes to win, as he said he would do. He will be better prepared physically and mentally than ever, as he says he is. He will have a good strategy and will implement it as best he can. If you think we will see the same kind of Andrade we saw against Kessler, I think you haven't kept up with his career since and with his preparation for this fight.

This will be a competitive, contested fight from the first bell to the last. Each round will be hard fought for, every minute of every round, every half of every minute. Andrade will give his all and will force Bute to give his all.

Bute, well, he will not just aim to nick rounds and survive and hope for a positive decision. This is his first fight on Showtime for a while and the first fight in which people will actually pay attention to him and his performance, in the USA. He will aim to impress, not just to survive. Americans don't like fighters who just use their skills to get through a fight, they like fighters who fight. When you fight a Mexican, you have to fight whether you want to or not, but especially if you don't want to appear weak and scared.

On the other hand, Bute cannot afford to go for toe to toe shoot-up at dawn approach against Andrade and hope to get the upper hand. He will have to use his intelligence, speed, movement, as well as fight. He needs to do both to impress and prove that he deserves to be in the same bracket as Kessler, Pavlik, Taylor, Dawson, etc.

I predict a much closer fight than many here who see Andrade as a human punching bag. They used to say the same about Margarito, and look where he is now. I see the chances in this fight as follows:

Bute decision: 55%
Bute stoppage: 5%
Andrade decision: 10%
Andrade stoppage: 30%

If Andrade were to win a stoppage, it would come as a result of attrition, after relentless pressure, after the 8th round or so.

If Bute were to win a stoppage, it would come in the last two rounds, after he slowed Andrade down with punches to the body, most likely as a result of a series of body/head/body shot combos.

Most likely, Bute will win a decision, but not wider than 6 rounds and more likely by around 4, I'd say.

If Andrade wins a decision, it will be close, 2 rounds max, I'd say.

Andrade has a style advantage over Bute, but Bute should be talented enough to use his strengths to overcome that advantage and win in a very competitive, very contested fight. Prepare to be entertained! Andrade has promissed a show to remember! He never lies.:good

 

Bumped for Maxime.