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Cloutier’s Canada Report
Bute Keeps His
Promise, Stops Di Luisa In The Fourth;
Grant: "Lucian Has Weapons To Become Champ Again"
By Daniel Cloutier
Photo: Robert Lévesque
MONTRÉAL - Former IBF super middleweight champion of the
world, the Montrealer Romanian Lucian Bute is dreaming to
take back the world title he held from 2007 to 2012, and he
made an important step in that direction Saturday evening in
the ring of the Bell Centre.
After a long absence of 18 months, Bute got his best
performance in three years, to beat the European champion,
the Italian Andrea Di Luisa (17-3-0) by TKO in the fourth
round of a bout scheduled for 10.
The fight ended after 1:53 minute of action in this fourth
round.
This win improved substantially his chances to get another
shot in a world title fight. Bute (32-2-0) could face the
new IBF super middleweight champion of the world, the
British James DeGale (21-1-0) in October at the new Québec
City Colisée. DeGale (21-1-0) captured the IBF 168 pounds
belt gave up by his countryman Carl Froch few months ago.
Froch mentioned to the IBF championship committee his
decision to take his retirement.
After a close first round Saturday evening, Bute, a
southpaw, intensified his attacks in the second and third
rounds. In the fourth, Bute floored the Di Luisa with a left
power shot on the chin. Di Luisa came back on his feet, but
Bute charged him right away with intense attacks and hurt
him again. At this moment, the Di Luisa’s corner men threw
the towel to stop the bout and give the win to Bute.
Bute was fighting for the first time with the Montrealers
trainers Howard and Otis Grant in his corner. “I mentioned
many times since few weeks that my confidence was back, and
I proved it tonight, said Bute in getting out of the ring.
And with the confidence back, my speed was back. And I did
good progress technically with Howard and Otis Grant since
April, in working on a daily basis with them. Plus the fact
that for the first time in three years, I was fighting in
perfect health. No more pain to the back and the wrists,
injuries which affected me a lot between 2012 and 2014. Di
Luisa did not look too bad in the first round, but from the
moment I started to attack him seriously, in the second and
third rounds, he was not too comfortable. I know I hurt him
seriously in the fourth round when he went on the canvas. I
knew at that point the fight was almost over. Few days ago,
I promised to my fans to become back a winning and tuned
perfomaing boxer, and I kept my promise. Now that I am back
on the winning track, now that I found back my efficiency, I
really hope to face James DeGale in a IBF world championship
bout in October in Québec City.”
Howard Grant said: "Yes, Bute’s confidence and efficiency
are back. Otis and I knew it, because we are working with
him every day. Lucian is determined to become back world
champion, and we know he has the weapons to achieve it.”
At his three previous bouts, Bute lived the worst moments of
his pro boxing career. In May 2012 in Nottingham, England,
he lost his IBF world title to Carl Froch (33-2-0), who beat
him by TKO in less than five rounds. Few months after in
Montréal, he scored a «so and so» win by unanimous decision
over the Russian Denis Grachev (13-5-1). And 18 months ago,
again in Montréal, he lost by unanimous decision against the
Montrealer Jean Pascal (30-3-1) in a NABF light heavyweight
North American championship.
“Like I said it several times, I was not healthy between
2012 and 2014, I got constant pain to the back and the
wrists, but I am perfectly healthy now, and you saw the
result tonight, said Bute. I lost the desire to train and
fight in 2012, with the injuries, but I found back this
passion for boxing in April, when I started to work on a
daily basis with Howard and Otis Grant at the Monster Gym in
Dorval (West Island of Montréal). I was finally healthy when
I joined the Grant’s team.”
ALVAREZ WON HIS MOST IMPORTANT FIGHT
Before the bout Bute-Di Luisa, the Montrealer Colombian
Eleider Alvarez won the most important bout of his pro
boxing career. He beat the Argentinian Isidro Ronani Prieto
(24-1-1) by unanimous decision (12 rounds) in a WBC Silver
championship, a fight which assured him to get the first or
second place in the 175 pounds WBC ratings.
The three judges scored the bout 177-111 in favour of the
Montrealer.
“I am pretty happy of this result, said Alvarez when he got
out of the ring. I just won the most significant fight of my
career, and I became the first fighter to beat Prieto.
Physically, it was not an easy bout. It was exhausting.
Prieto is strong physically and he hits hard. However, I was
faster than him and better technically. Prieto threw a lot
of punches, but my punches were certainly more accurate than
his. I believe I dominate more rounds than him, and I was
deserving the win. I hope to get eventually a shot for a
world title.”
Alvarez has a perfect record of 18-0-0.
Marc Ramsay, the Alvarez trainer, said: «Prieto surprised me
in being more intense than I was expected it, but Eleider
was faster than him, more accurate than him, and my fighter
has been able to adjust his style to the opponent’s style in
most of the rounds. Eleider dominate definitively more
rounds than Prieto».
THE UNDERCARD
In the most important preliminary fight of the evening, the
Montrealer Romanian heavyweight Bogdan Dinu increased his
record to 13-0-0 with an impressive performance against Eddy
Perry (6-2-0), from Lafayette, Indiana. Dinu won the bout by
TKO in the second round.
The Montrealer super middleweight Erik Bazinyan improved his
pro boxing record to 9-0-0 with a victory by KO in the third
round (6 rounds bout) over the German Lee Anthony Spitzka
(6-2-0) by
One of the best prospects of the Canadian pro boxing, the
Montrealer super lightweight Yves Ulysse Jr. (9-0-0) made
another step to an eventual participation to a North
American championship (his goal for 2016) in the 140 pounds
division, in beating Ryan Gardner (5-3-0) by TKO in the
second round.
In the opening bout of the evening, the Russian super
bantamweight Vislan Dalkaev scored his third win in pro
boxing (3-0-0), with a win by TKO in the fifth round over
the Spanish Saul Tejada (6-6-1).
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