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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Lucian Bute: "I Promised Howard
& Otis Grant Not To Disappoint Them On August 15th"
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL- Former IBF super middleweight champion of the
world, the Montrealer Romanian Lucian Bute was involved in a
media’s training day Wednesday afternoon at the Monster Gym
in Pointe-Claire, in the West island of Montréal. The boxing
trainers of this gym are the Montrealers brothers Howard and
Otis Grant, the new Bute’s trainers.
Wednesday, Bute seemed on fire at 17 days before his
comeback in the ring. August 15th at Bell Centre, Bute
(31-2-0) will face the Italian Andrea Di Luisa (17-2-0) in
the main event (10 rounds) of a boxing show of the NBC
Premier Champions Series.
“I feel fantastic, said Bute after his training session. I
made some important improvements in the last four months in
working on a daily basis with Howard and Otis Grant in
Pointe-Claire. My fans will see it August 15th at Bell
Centre. I will be meaner than I was at my last three bouts,
I will move more in the ring, and I will be better
technically, offensively like defensively. You will see, I
will use more my jab and work more intensively in the ropes,
in what we call the inside boxing.”
Bute did not fight since January 18th 2014, since his defeat
by unanimous decision against the Montrealer Jean Pascal
(30-3-1) at Bell Centre, in a NABF light heavyweight North
American championship.
At his two previous fights, Bute lost his IBF 168 pounds
word title to the British Carl Froch (33-2-0), by TKO in
less than five rounds, and he won a «so and so» win by
decision against the Russsian Denis Grachev (13-5-1). The
fight Bute-Froch was presented May 26th 2012 in Nottingham,
England, and the fight Bute-Grachev happened November 3rd
the same year, at Bell Centre.
“Like I said it many times in the last weeks, I lost my
enthusiasm to train in the last three years, but my
enthusiasm and desire to succeed are back since I am working
with Howard and Otis Grant. Believe me, you will see in
action the real Lucian Bute August 15th.”
Clearly, Otis Grant loves to work on a regular basis with
Bute. “It’s true, Lucian seems extremely happy to train
every day with us, said Otis, a former WBO middleweight
champion of the world. He is really enthusiast. He is giving
a great effort day after day in the gym to improve his
technic. Howard and me changed some aspects of his style, in
hoping to make improvements, and Lucian is persuaded that
these modifications are making him better technically than
ever. For sure, you will see in action a Lucian Bute better
defensively than he was at his last three bouts, and a
Lucian Bute more intense and more aggressive than he was at
his last three fights.”
Howard Grant said: “Lucian is perfectly prepared mentally,
physically and technically now. He is certainly prepared to
face this challenge. I am sure Di Luisa is coming in
Montréal to win, to cause a surprise, than, Lucian will have
to deliver a solid performance to get back on the winning
track. And I am absolutely sure he will do it.”
Bute knows Di Luisa, who is actually European champion.
“Yes, I know him very well, said Bute. I remember that I
faced him in the amateurs in Italy. I beat him by decision.
But he is not a fighter to take lightly. Oh no! He is
intense, aggressive and he can punch solidly. But trust me,
August 15th, I will give a performance which will please my
fans and my trainers. I promised to Howard and Otis to not
disappoint them.”
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