Not at all, and I see what you're saying. I just don't think it compares to Margarito against Cotto whatsoever. In the early rounds Cotto took there, he was still taking punishment and being pressed out of his comfort zone quite often. When the tides did turn, we saw several rounds where Margarito was seriously doing damage and gaining momentum.

Grachev did very little against Sillakh until he had a guy who was dead tired simply from hitting him, and even then he wasn't having any success until he landed the one bomb. Sillakh is talented no doubt, but that fight tells me he doesn't have the chin or stamina to pull off the kind of style he fights with, and he doesn't hit nearly as hard as Bute either.

I'm not even saying Grachev is a bum or has no hope in this, but that if Bute is serious about rematching Froch he needs a live opponent, as you said. Lucian is either much better than he showed in Nottingham or he isn't, either way he needs to find out quickly as Froch has other options and won't be around much longer.