Why is Lucian Bute regarded as the 2nd best Smw?

[Dropanuke]

Hang on the final was between froch and ward and warding being #1 that should make froch #2 and bute #3??
That's the whole point of the tournament that bute pussied out of, if he didn't pussy out he woulda been in it. If froch won then Andre would be second. Ibf belt doesn't make you second

[iwng100]

Hang on the final was between froch and ward and warding being #1 that should make froch #2 and bute #3??
That's the whole point of the tournament that bute pussied out of, if he didn't pussy out he woulda been in it. If froch won then Andre would be second. Ibf belt doesn't make you second

No, this is not “the whole point of the tournament” since Bute, the no. 2 of the SM division at the time was left outside of the S6.
And Bute didn’t pussied out, he was just not invited.
Showtime Sports executive vice president and general manager Ken Hershman said:
" the tournament was very difficult to put together and the only way to get five promoters and six fighters on the same page was within the existing relationships I had. It wasn't that I didn't think [Bute and Bedard] were worthy or trustworthy. I just didn't have the depth of the relationship I had with the others."

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=5769178

This having been said, I have no problem putting Bute behind Froch.