Ward hadn't fought a world class fighter before Kessler (or since) and he still won that fight. In these potential matchups, ability matters; resumes count for ****. Bute is just as powerfull as Froch. But his superiour skill allows him to place the killer blows better.
What? Boxrec isn't the only way to judge a fighter? I'm sick of people saying the A boxer can't win against the B boxer because his resume is not as good. That is plain stupid. With that way of thinking, Ali had no chance at all in his first fight.
I hear what you are saying with your post, I guess with regards to this match up though, it seems people are trying to say Froch is more proven against a higher level of opposition than Bute, thus are favouring him. I think that's a fair position to take at this current juncture. As for who I would take in this fight, I'll take Froch by UD (Biased )
I agree Froch has earned experience when fighting a stronger opposition. i think we have to find out what it gave him, based on what he does now in a ring compared to what he did before. Then, we can compare Froch assets with Bute's ones. Boxrec alone means ****. If your conclusion is Froch by UD, it is very fine with me. You have the right to be wrong (biased).