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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Lucian Bute: "I Am 36 Years
Old.
I Feel Like A 26 Year Old Fighter."
By: Daniel Cloutier
Photos: Robert Lévesque
MONTRÉAL - The Montrealer Romanian boxer Lucian Bute looks
on fire at about two weeks before his next participation to
a world championship bout. April 30th in the ring of the
D.C. Armory Centre in Washington, D.C., Bute (32-3-0), a
former IBF super middleweight champion of the world, will
try to dethrone the Swedish Badou Jack (20-1-1) as WBC super
middleweight champion of the world.
Bute lost his IBF 168 pounds belt against the British Carl
Froch (31-2-0) in May 2012 in Nottingham, England. Bute, who
won 10 IBF world championships bouts in a row, lost to Froch
by TKO in the fifth round. After this defeat, Bute was not
performing during two years, but he found back his
confidence and desire to perform when Howard and Otis Grant
became his new trainers.
Bute was involved in a media training day Thursday afternoon
at the Monster Gym in the West island of Montréal, at the
Grant’s Gym. “It’s absolutely true, I am on fire actually,
said Bute in front of the boxing writers. I am so impatient
to be back in the ring. Believe me; I am in an exceptional
shape now. I am 36 years old, but I really feel I am a boxer
of 26 years old. I feel so strong mentally, technically and
strategically now. My trainers Howard and Otis Grant
prepared me perfectly for this challenge. I feel so
energetic. Badou Jack is a good fighter who won his two last
WBC world championship bouts, but I am positive that his
sequence of success will ended April 30th. I know I have the
skills and the desire to become the new WBC super
middleweight champion of the world, and I will do it. I am
always motivated at few days or few weeks of participation
to a world championship bout, but my motivation cannot be
higher than it is now. I feel happy and enthusiast like I
never been. I am sure my fans will feel my determination to
win when I will leave my dressing room at the D.C. Armory to
walk to the ring.”
Bute is working with the Grant Brothers for about a year,
but he is associated to the InterBox organization since the
beginning of his pro boxing career in 2003. “In matter fact,
Lucian is on fire actually, said Howard Grant. He always
showed up a great determination in the gym, but his desire
to become back world champion could not be higher than it is
now. I am expecting a fantastic performance by him in
Washington. Each time he his hitting on my hands pads in the
ring, in training, I feel his power and desire to destroy
the opponent. I can see in his eyes how much he is hungry
for success now. Lucian is right, he is like a fighter of 26
years old now.”
Pierre Duc, the vice-president of InterBox, is persuaded
that Bute is on the way to become back world champion.
“Lucian is incredible in training day after day, said Duc. I
never saw him so enthusiast and so energetic. More the big
moment is close, more I am sure Lucian will dethrone Jack as
WBC super middleweight champion of the world. I can
understand why Lucian feels he is just 26 years old now. I
really believe he is at his peak now. Lucian promised us he
will become world champion in Washington, and I believe him
at 100%. It will be extremely exciting to be around the ring
at the D.C. Armory Centre in two weeks.”
The scout of the GYM Group, Bernard Barré, who knows all the
fighters ranked in the world, was present at this media
training day, with the promoter of the organization, Yvon
Michel. The GYM Group and the InterBox Group are strong
partners in the boxing business actually.
“The fight Bute-Jack will be absolutely fantastic, said
Barré. Badou Jack is a natural warrior, and Lucian Bute is
so brilliant technically. I really think Jack will try to
attack intensively in every rounds, but Lucian is a lot of
faster than him, and he is good mover in the ring, a skill
that Jack has not. And Lucian has a very good technique,
plus the fact he is usually very accurate on his punches.
Lucian will certainly fight intensively himself, knowing the
bout is not in front of his fans in Montréal, but in
Washington, D.C. My prediction? Bute gonna will the bout by
unanimous decision of the judges. Lucian got a great
performance against the British James De Gale (the actual
IBF super middleweight champion of the world) last November
in Québec City, and I am expecting to see him even better
against Badou Jack.”
Last November, Bute lost by unanimous decision against De
Gale (22-1-0), but all the boxing writers who covered the
fight, are agree with Barré. Bute, that night, got one of
the best performances of his career. De Gale also will fight
April 30th at the D.C. Armory Centre. He will defend his IBF
belt against the Mexican Rogelio Medina (36-6-0).
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