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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Bute vs. Alvarez WBC Light
Heavyweight Elimination Set For Feb. 24
By: Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - The GYM Group, headed by the promoter Yvon
Michel, radically changed the plans of the February 24th
boxing show at the Videotron Centre in Québec City. The
Montrealers Adonis Stevenson (28-1-0) and Eleider Alvarez
(20-0-0) were supposed to fight for the WBC light
heavyweight championship of the world, but it won’t
happened.
Alvarez, a Montrealer Colombian, will be involved in the
main event of this boxing show, but he will face the
Montrealer Romanian Lucian Bute (32-3-1) in an elimination
bout. The winner of this fight will face Stevenson, the WBC
175 pounds champions of the world, at the end of April in
Montréal or Québec City.
“We have decided to organize an elimination bout between
Alvarez and Bute, and the WBC championship committee has
accepted our proposal, said Yvon Michel Tuesday afternoon in
a press conference held at the Montréal Casino. Why Bute and
Alvarez? They are both Montrealers, both speak French now,
and this fight will certainly attract a big crowd in Québec
City. And this decision will make an eventual bout
Alvarez-Stevenson or Bute-Stevenson, extremely popular in
Montréal or Québec City.”
Former IBF super middleweight (168 pounds) champion of the
world, Bute will move up in the light heavyweight to face
Alvarez.
“When Yvon Michel offered me a WBC elimination fight with
Alvarez, I said yes with no hesitation, said Bute. I want to
face the best fighters in the world, and Alvarez is
certainly one of the best light heavyweights on the planet.
It’s a great challenge for me. And I love the idea that the
winner of our fight will dispute a WBC world championship
fight next spring. It’s my goal, as you know, to dispute
another world championship fight. I crossed a dark period in
the last six months, but now, I am enthusiast and motivated
like ever.”
Bute resolved his drug’s file with the WBC last week, in
accepting to pay a fine of $50,000 and a suspension of six
months, started last May. Bute will be totally free to fight
at the beginning of the year.
Bernard Barré, the scout of the GYM Group, recruited Bute in
2003 in Bucharest, Romania. “In 2003, at the time I
recruited Bute, Yvon Michel and me were both associated to
the InterBox Group, said Barré. However, as you know, when
Jean Bédard bought InterBox from Hans Mullegg, Bute stayed
with InterBox… and Yvon and me left the company to create
our own company, the GYM Group. And Bute is back with us
now. It’s great. No doubt that a match up Bute-Alvarez will
create a huge interest in Québec City February 24th, and
this fight promised fireworks. Lucian and Eleider are both
great technicians, and both can hit with power. For sure, a
fight between Adonis Stevenson and the winner of this
elimination bout would create one of the most important
sport event of 2017 in Canada.”
However, Alvarez has to stay undefeated Saturday at the
Montréal Casino. Alvarez will dispute a tune up bout
Saturday. He will face the Polish Norbert Dabrowski
(19-5-1).
And Yvon confirmed that Bute signed a new long term contract
with his organization. “Bute is 36 years old, but he is
always in great shape, and he still one of the best fighters
in the world in the super middleweight and light heavyweight
divisions, said Yvon Michel. Lucian still extremely popular
on our territory, then he will certainly draw big crowds in
the months and years to come. We expected he will completed
his boxing career with us, and as soon he will take his
retirement as boxer, he will work for our organization.
Lucian is a very intelligent man who can help us to grow up
in the years to come.”
It’s not impossible that Stevenson will proceed to an
optional defense of his world title February 24th, and he
totally agrees to face the winner of this elimination bout
Bute-Alvarez at the end of April.
Stevenson (28–1-0) was hoping to face the Russian Sergey
Kovalev (28-1-1), but he knows it’s out of question before
next fall. Kovalev, who lost by a very controversial
decision against the Californian Andre Ward (31-0-0)
November 19th in Las Vegas, will get a rematch with Ward in
the months to come. Kovalev’s promoter, Kathy Duva, and HBO,
will confirm eventually the date of this rematch.
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