why didn't ward took the bute fight?

Ok, Bute might have been a hypejob and a level below Froch and Kessler but he wasn't a nobody. He was the IBF Title holder, the longest reigning active champion in the division, and the only significant name in the division that had not been invited to compete in the Super Six. He was a perfectly legitimate opponent - in fact there was no more credible opponent in the division at that time than Bute.

Besides which, Bute offered to fight in Oakland and only asked for a rematch clause to be added so that if he lost he could fight Ward again in Quebec. It wasn't an unreasonable request.

 

No I'm over exaggerating his situation, I'm just so frustrated that he seems to be wasting his prime.

Calzaghe shitted his prime away not taking risks and retired never reaching his full potential and I could see Ward doing the same due to his inactivity.

He has had injuries but he could of fought Bute in the summer of 2012 instead of Froch becuase his hand had healed. He is once again inactive because of promotional disputes and during all this inactivity Froch the guy he spanked has gone from near retirement to possibly the most lucrative super middle fight in history against Groves.

As a fan I want to watch him fight and it seems now I'll be lucky to see him fight once a year based upon his recent activity level.

 

The thing is Ward is one hell of a boxer but a bad businessman.

He should have took the fight with Bute while people were clamouring for it - the Andrade fight showed that Bute could be venerable and after the Super 6, Ward had shown he had what it took to school Bute. Instead they let it go by and Froch took the opportunity and resurrected himself by demolishing Bute. Ward should have struck while the iron was hot on that one.

He should have taken the Froch rematch in UK after Froch beat Bute. We already know Ward can beat Froch convincingly and it was the biggest money fight around for him at the time. Instead he decided to grandstand about how he didn't need to be forced to do anything and opted to take a much smaller money fight. Since then, Groves has dented Froch's status a bit which means a rematch would likely not make as much money as it would have.

You could even argue he should have taken the Dawson fight at 175 instead of 168. It gave his detractors an excuse to take shots at him and excuse Dawson for being drained, he would have won at 175 anyway. Moving up would probably have been good in the long term as well as there are good challenges at 175 with Kovalev and Stevenson around while he's instead at 168 with no major challenges and no big opponents around (maybe Ward-Groves would be marketable if Groves can beat Froch in the rematch).

 

Bute seamed like a threat to Ward, it is this only reason why Ward spit on his biggest payday then yet. He could have fought in front of 15,000 to 20,000 people in Montreal but refused it "because Bute was not worthy enough". But Bute had won against some of the S6 guys then (Bika and Johnson). Bika is now a world titlist. Bute was caught by a big right hand early in the Froch fight which made history and also made right people who were saying that Bute was only a hype job.

My conclusion: Ward is all politicks and a ducker.

 

Don't forget Ward was injuried coming out of the Super 6 and needed to undergo surgery.
If there really was good money on the table for Ward to face an unproven Bute who had fought no body, then how much better would the money have been for a Ward-Bute bout had Bute defeated Froch?

I'm sure Ward looked at this angle, and decided to have his surgery, repair his shoulder, allow Froch to face Bute and hen be ready to face the winner hd it been Bute.

Unfortunately, as Ward expected, Bute was a hype and after being exposed and defeated by Froch his value plummeted rather than appreciated.
Too bad because had Bute been good enough to defeat Froch it would have been another notch on Ward's resume when he faced and defeated him.

 

No idea. Stupid decision.

 

hes the man, theres no reason he should have to fight away from the US. networks rule the roost
and did you just say bute is "slick and hits hard"....??

 

He said Bute needed to fight a top fighter to get the fight.

Bute fought Froch and Froch beat him in a fight that David Haye would describe as "one sided as a gang ****"

Long story short, Ward was proven right.

 

I dont think Froch was any more famous after the Bute fight than he was after the Pascal fight.

Hes a star in England,and known in the international boxing community and thats about it.

 

I imagine someone behind the scenes did not want Ward to destroy Bute.

 

Maybe Ward will live up to his nickname and come back from the dead boxing-wise! It's all planned!

 

Proven right and got zero dollars and zero fame for sitting it out.

That's logic straight out of the Winky Wright School of Boxing Business where, somehow, the biggest prizes in prizefighting come from the fights you don't take.

It looks like Ward's content to throw stones at the other top guys from his cinderblock tower in Oakland without bothering to fight them. He'll then complain when they get the credit and hype for what he could've/should've done himself.

It's a shame because he's a hell of a boxer. Hopefully he gets things straightened out promotionally and takes on the next wave of titlists and contenders that've emerged.

 

Without bothering to fight them???

Hes beaten literally every guy in the SMW division that holds a world title!

Hes beaten guys FAR better than Bute.

 

In case you haven't noticed, the more you argue how easy of a fight Bute would've been for Ward, the worse of a decision it looks like that Andre didn't take it. We're talking a huge missed opportunity to build his name up.

I suppose Andre can be content, as you seem to be, that he didn't get that payday and exposure because he didn't think Bute was worthy.

 

Ward didn't like the style match up.

Ward likes getting up close so he can wrestle and maul you, but Bute had a fast and hard counter uppercut waiting. Ward had played that game before against Boone who nearly left him sleeping for the count but manged to get up and survive a draw (on my card)

Bute is an all round better fighter than Boone could ever be. Ward knew this so bailed. he didn't want to get taken out with that counter shot.

Duck!