Froch and Bute agree in principle to a Unification Fight

[pacman79]

Until that point im not even saying this from a bias perspective, Carl is the number 1 ranked figher at 168, and if he beats Bute that definatly cements that position. Kessler cant live off a losing performance to JC, win 2 comeback fights and be so inactive. Carl has done more and proven hes the best by knocking out JT. I hope Kessler does get in the mix, hes a good solid fighter who brings a lot to the table, but as a boxing fan I am aware that he really doesnt have the grasp at number 1 anymore post JC fight

You have made some good points and if Froch beats Bute he would be the main man.
Kessler would need to beat him to retake top spot

[TheDemolitionDan]

IMO these two are the best in the division and it should be a good one. I think Bute though will be too much for Froch and will win by a wide UD...if this fight does come through.

[iwng100]

This is really tremendous, I’m more than pleased, I mean any fight between Bute, Froch and Kessler is what we, the boxing fans, expect; we all wish to see the best fight in every weight class (Pavlik- Abraham, Dawson-Hopkins, etc.) and this one is one of them.
I favor Bute in this one but being his fan I could be subjective of course.

[killersheep]

Great news, great matchup. If Andrade is able to catch Bute earlier and take him out this time will it throw a wrench in the works?

[Violent Demise]

Impressive choice of fights but ....
I would say Kessler would be the hardest fight

Not sure anymore after his loss against JC, ever since that he has been overrated majorly on this forum. What has he done since? Beaten not so good fighters? Bute has shown that he wants this step up too, Kessler along with his protected promotion base arent prepared to go deep for fights like this. Kessler IMO wont be in the mix for a while, its a shame because he potentially is the best but hes not showing me that at the momment.

Very true.
He needs to get a new promoter and get in the mix.
I honestly think he could dominate the division

Promoter ain't got nothing to do with it. He needs a new heart. Kessler has lost the will to fight

[CFH]

If he gets past Andrade, which is no forgone conclusion, Bute will ruin Froch.

[Galaxy]

Gotta give credit to Froch for taking on top competition! Pacal, Taylor & now possibly Bute, if Froch catches Bute its goodnight!

When is this fight supposed to take place? If its later in the year Kessler may be dropped for inactivity & this fight could end up being for the vacant Ring Championship

[CGM]

I didn't read the thread, but this one gets my vote as the most inconsequential title unification fight of all time.

dollars to donuts says the people who put together ppv won't touch this one.

[amat]

I'm conflicted on Bute, I think he is overrated and underrated at the same times. That's mainly because he's inconsistent, not from one performance to another but from one round to another. He looks unstoppable at times with those wild Montreal crowds at his back and then venerable and underwhelming the next round. Not to mention I think he is one dimensional which has been overlooked to a large degree but he really doesn't have much of an inside game. Even his left uppercut comes from way outside.

Bute is infinitely more talented then Froch and he is a smart enough fighter to not get hit with a dumb shot which is basically Froch's only shot at winning. Also, Bute doesn't load up on his punches which might make more of a dent in Froch's chin because the shots you don't see hurt you.

It's scary because I can envision Froch winning this even though he shouldn't, I don't think he will but it just takes one bad performance from Bute to help Froch pull off an upset.

[ono]

So glad my boy is going right for the hardest fight, he forfilled his promise by delivering at the higher level and he isnt taking any easy options what so ever. JT in your first ever defence, then a unification against a top 3 ranked fighter is impressive IMO.

Impressive choice of fights but ....
I would say Kessler would be the hardest fight

Kessler needs to have a word with himself. Why isn't he fighting anybody of note?

[Kirkland Laing]

So glad my boy is going right for the hardest fight, he forfilled his promise by delivering at the higher level and he isnt taking any easy options what so ever. JT in your first ever defence, then a unification against a top 3 ranked fighter is impressive IMO.

Impressive choice of fights but ....
I would say Kessler would be the hardest fight

Kessler needs to have a word with himself. Why isn't he fighting anybody of note?

Because he's under contract to a man who makes Frank Warren look like a reckless gambler when it comes to making fights. He's trying to get out of the contract or he has to fight another three or so stiffs anytime the promoter picks over the next couple of years.

[ICB]

I said from way back Lucian Bute is the darkhorse of the division, he's very skilled fighter whom i've been impressed with. He did make a mistake by trading with Librado Andrade in the last round, but forgetting that mistake which he will learn from he gave Librado Andrade a boxing lesson.

He also beat Sakio Bika more clearly than anyone else including Joe Calzaghe, he's also beat Kabary Salem a man who knocked down Joe Calzaghe very heavily. Also impressive wins over Alejandro Berrio, Fulgencio Zuniga, and Lolenga Mock a fighter who almost stopped David Haye and put him down aswell.

I think Carl Froch will struggle in this fight he isn't a physical as Librado Andrade, Sakio Bika. And he looks for one shot a bit too much IMO. And i think Lucian Bute will evade most of Carl Froch's punches and give him fits on the outside.

And although i think there maybe a chance of Carl Froch stopping Lucian Bute late, because although his power is a bit overrated. He is still one of the hardest hitting Super Middleweights. And i'd compare his power to Kelly Pavlik.

But lets remember Lucian Bute isn't no slouch in the power department either, he's got some very good stoppage wins under his belt. I'd say Lucian Bute by UD but there is a chance of Carl Froch stopping him late on.

By the way one last question does the winner fight Librado Andrade ? because didn't Librado Andrade win the title eliminator match ?

[Rantcatrat]

Hes not fought once this year, not showing great signs of hunger like Froch and Bute. At the end of the day he is beatable and its been proven, I wouldnt be him as a favourite by any means against either man to be honest. Hes just another highly ranked 168 fighter who needs to prove himself, like all of them do. I did about about a year ago showing the importance of this weight class, and slowly but surely it's showing that it will be the most exciting. If he stays with that promotion team he honestly won't be fighting any top ranked fighter for a while.

It is arguable that Kessler, Bute, and Froch to a lesser extent have already proven themselves. Kessler has wins for Mundine, Beyer, and Andrade. Bika has wins over Andrade, Bika, and Zuniga. Froch has wins over Taylor and Pascal.

[Rantcatrat]

I didn't read the thread, but this one gets my vote as the most inconsequential title unification fight of all time.

dollars to donuts says the people who put together ppv won't touch this one.

Why is that? The winner fights Kessler for a full unification in a pretty deep division.

[Rantcatrat]

I said from way back Lucian Bute is the darkhorse of the division, he's very skilled fighter whom i've been impressed with. He did make a mistake by trading with Librado Andrade in the last round, but forgetting that mistake which he will learn from he gave Librado Andrade a boxing lesson.

He also beat Sakio Bika more clearly than anyone else including Joe Calzaghe, he's also beat Kabary Salem a man who knocked down Joe Calzaghe very heavily. Also impressive wins over Alejandro Berrio, Fulgencio Zuniga, and Lolenga Mock a fighter who almost stopped David Haye and put him down aswell.

I think Carl Froch will struggle in this fight he isn't a physical as Librado Andrade, Sakio Bika. And he looks for one shot a bit too much IMO. And i think Lucian Bute will evade most of Carl Froch's punches and give him fits on the outside.

And although i think there maybe a chance of Carl Froch stopping Lucian Bute late, because although his power is a bit overrated. He is still one of the hardest hitting Super Middleweights. And i'd compare his power to Kelly Pavlik.

But lets remember Lucian Bute isn't no slouch in the power department either, he's got some very good stoppage wins under his belt. I'd say Lucian Bute by UD but there is a chance of Carl Froch stopping him late on.

By the way one last question does the winner fight Librado Andrade ? because didn't Librado Andrade win the title eliminator match ?

Good post. Bute is difficult to fight because he is a tall, quick southpaw. He also has experience with quality opposition. He matches up well with most of the fighters at 168. Bute over Froch by UD is a good call.

However, Froch has the edge in the intangibles department. He trains hard and has tons of heart. He went down for the first time in his career (maybe amateur too?) in the second round of his fight with Taylor and fought hard for the rest of the fight. That's reflects grit and determination. One thing is certain, he won't lose easily. Whereas, Bute lost his cool in the last round against Andrade and barely made it to the finish line in a fight in which he had won almost every other round.