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IBF super middle king Lucian Bute got a good test last night from European champion Brian Magee before stopping the Irishman in the tenth frame at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
In the early rounds, veteran Magee’s experience keeps Bute from taking immediate control. Bute is using his quickness to get in, punch and get out but Magee has some success in getting in close and punching.
Good exchanges start to occur, each countering the other. Despite Bute’s edge in speed, Magee is having some success to the body to try and slow the slippery champion down. When Bute starts to use the jab more, it gives Magee problems and the challenger responds by rushing forward, trying to engage before the champion can clinch.
The middle rounds see Magee increasingly forcing the action but Bute is working harder to hold his ground. The pair begin to throw harder shots and Bute starts going to the body more during the inevitable clinches.
In the seventh, Bute hits Magee with a good left to the body and Magee slowly sinks to his knees. Bute is told by the referee to keep his punches up, although replays show this to be a hard shot to the ribs.
When the contest resumes, Bute again goes to the body with a left and Magee immediately sinks to the canvas. This time Magee is given a count and beats it before being saved by the bell.
Magee comes out for the eighth looking very winded but has upped his workrate and is actively exchanging with Bute. Magee is driving forward, swinging for the fences, Bute whipping in very hard counters as a result.
Magee is getting thru to Bute, causing the champion to get more offensive. At the end of the eighth Bute is actively targeting Magee’s body but he can’t get in a perfect shot again.
Magee picks up the pressure in the ninth and scores with a few good shots on the retreating Bute. Bute using his speed to snap in bracing single shots to stem Magee’s progress. Magee keeps coming and there’s good exchanges and Bute is outboxing Magee by the end of the ninth.
Magee still pressuring in the tenth and Bute is still outboxing him but the challenger won’t go away. Bute gets in another good body shot but Magee takes it and even comes forward, landing combinations.
During a clinch, Bute whips a hard left to the body and Magee collapses to the canvas, prompting the referee to wave off the fight at 2:04 of the tenth.
Bute goes to 28-0 (23) while Magee loses for the first time since 2006, dropping to 34-4-1 (24).
Magee lost almost all the rounds but showed a great deal of heart and that Bute can be hit by a determined opponent. Bute was given many more problems than had been expected and if he is indeed to face the winner of the Showtime tournament, he’ll have to be sharper.
On the undercard, super feather prospect Viorel Simion, 13-0 (5), was given a tough test by veteran Pedro Navarrett, 26-11-3 (15), before winning an eight round split decision.
Promising light middle contender Vanes Martirosyan, 29-0 (18), knocked out middleweight Bladimir Hernandez, 18-5 (16), in the second while super feather Benoit Gaudet, 24-2 (11), produced a sixth round technical decision against Adrian Verdugo, 17-4-1 (14).
Bantamweight Sebastien Gauthier, 20-2 (12), knocked out Jovanny Soto, 31-10-1 (26), and heavyweight Pier Olivier Cote, 15-0 (10), halted Micael Lozada, 37-8-1 (30), in the first.
