Lucian Bute next opponent will be Jesse Brinkley...

[CFH]

This is a guy who some have argued being the best at 168 and he is fighting the likes of Brinkley...........

I agree that Brinkley is far from a top-tier opponent, but, ignoring that fact that Brinkley is his mandatory, who else can Bute realistically face?

Hopkins is a high-risk, low-reward fight; Pavlik needs to start rebuilding himself in a new weight class and I doubt he wants anything to do with Bute right now; Jermaine Taylor and Jeff Lacy are shot; he's already beaten Bika and Andrade; Pascal is fighting Dawson at 175; and all the elite opponents are in the Super 6.

There's no one else for Bute to fight.

I'm kind of a hypocrite here as I do believe Brinkley has earned his shot. He strung a nice little win streak together and then he won the eliminator. So as Bute's mandatory he has indeed earned the right to face Bute. I know a couple months ago there were rumours he'd be forced to fight Bika to get the title shot and I felt that was wrong, you win your eliminator you get your shot, that's the way it should be.

That said I will still diss Bute for it. I actually accept he has no other options and it's just a stay busy fight, perfectly acceptable really.

But he shouldn't be the Ring Champ fighting opponents like this when Ward has just hammered Mikkel Kessler and Alan Green in successive fights.

Let him fight Brinkley, but drop him to number 1 challenger on the rankings, behind Andre Ward, the true champ.

I agree 100% that he should not be the #1 ring ranked SMW. I think he has top 2/3 talent, but there is no way it shouldn't be 1. Ward 2. Kessler.... I'd probably have Bute anywhere from 3-5.

[DaxxKahn]

Nice to see the Ring's Champion is taking risks and not just staying in Canada fighting bums.

His recognition as being above and beyond Andre Ward is well deserved.

It's its official and mandated opponent. They want to fight him now to have 12 months free afterward to fight the likes of Hopkins, Froch or Abraham or Pavlik. they did mention it on corrussport not that long ago, they wanted another opponent for this summer, a better one but no one was available under decent conditions.

Exactly but I guess it is more important in the minds of some Bute just lose the title outside the ring while waiting for a real opp to step up....

The whole Hopkins thing is just stupid...Hopkins is not worth the trouble...at this point he is not rerally much of a risk for any of the SS (Except Green) or top SMW out there right now...Bute is waiting for the SS winner his team actually still favors Kessler believe it or not (The believe it or not was his camps words lol)...Once the SS is over there will be plenty of opp to face...Right now he has to face his mandatory to satisfy the governing body...It will help keep him from getting rusty...will help keep him in top shape because he will have to have training camp.....


Somethimes people have to look at the big picture

[Kev]

Nice to see the Ring's Champion is taking risks and not just staying in Canada fighting bums.

His recognition as being above and beyond Andre Ward is well deserved.

It's its official and mandated opponent. They want to fight him now to have 12 months free afterward to fight the likes of Hopkins, Froch or Abraham or Pavlik. they did mention it on corrussport not that long ago, they wanted another opponent for this summer, a better one but no one was available under decent conditions.

Exactly but I guess it is more important in the minds of some Bute just lose the title outside the ring while waiting for a real opp to step up....

The whole Hopkins thing is just stupid...Hopkins is not worth the trouble...at this point he is not rerally much of a risk for any of the SS (Except Green) or top SMW out there right now...Bute is waiting for the SS winner his team actually still favors Kessler believe it or not (The believe it or not was his camps words lol)...Once the SS is over there will be plenty of opp to face...Right now he has to face his mandatory to satisfy the governing body...It will help keep him from getting rusty...will help keep him in top shape because he will have to have training camp.....


Somethimes people have to look at the big picture

I don't really agree with this. If you think B Hop isn't much of a risk for Bute at this stage then how could he not be worth the trouble?

Beating B Hop would be by far Bute's biggest win and would announce his elite level status regardless of how old Hopkins is.

If I was promoting Bute, and that fight could be made and I thought he'd win as easy as you seem to feel he would I'd make sure that fight was made.

[BoxingGorilla]

If Curtis Stevens beat Brinkley, people wouldn't have minded this much if Stevens got the shot.

You just owned me, Amat.


I am bitter about Stevens losing to Brinkley. I didn't want to mention it, but your words were a gut shot and I couldn't pretend otherwise.

I get up, make a sandwhich, set back down, and before I can swallow my second bite I get called out.

[DaxxKahn]

Nice to see the Ring's Champion is taking risks and not just staying in Canada fighting bums.

His recognition as being above and beyond Andre Ward is well deserved.

It's its official and mandated opponent. They want to fight him now to have 12 months free afterward to fight the likes of Hopkins, Froch or Abraham or Pavlik. they did mention it on corrussport not that long ago, they wanted another opponent for this summer, a better one but no one was available under decent conditions.

Exactly but I guess it is more important in the minds of some Bute just lose the title outside the ring while waiting for a real opp to step up....

The whole Hopkins thing is just stupid...Hopkins is not worth the trouble...at this point he is not rerally much of a risk for any of the SS (Except Green) or top SMW out there right now...Bute is waiting for the SS winner his team actually still favors Kessler believe it or not (The believe it or not was his camps words lol)...Once the SS is over there will be plenty of opp to face...Right now he has to face his mandatory to satisfy the governing body...It will help keep him from getting rusty...will help keep him in top shape because he will have to have training camp.....


Somethimes people have to look at the big picture

I don't really agree with this. If you think B Hop isn't much of a risk for Bute at this stage then how could he not be worth the trouble?

Beating B Hop would be by far Bute's biggest win and would announce his elite level status regardless of how old Hopkins is.

If I was promoting Bute, and that fight could be made and I thought he'd win as easy as you seem to feel he would I'd make sure that fight was made.

Becaue even if he beats Hopkins (That is my opp if the fight goes off then we will all find out) Bernard is so freaking dirty, his fights are so ugly...that be it Bute or any of the other guys at SMW vieing for the top...The fight makes you look bad and there is the risk of a cut or other injury because ofd the way Hopkins fights...ESPECIALLY NOW....I was once a hughe Hopkins fan but he is unbearable to watch now....I think the guy actually sets out just to see if he can injure an opp in such ways....Then he cries the blues if anyopne hits him 3 inches above the waist....And right now beating him sets you up for what?...He holds zero leverage especially at SMW...It won't lead to bigger fights...It won't get you near a title uni bout or evenb a title shot if you were not champion so why risk it?...He is not worth it....I don't even think Hopkins cares if he wins anymore he made that obvious in his bouts with Calzaghe and Jones...He speant more time fouling and acting then fighting ...If Jones wasn't so shot nhe would have beaten him....Pavlik was his Swan song.....Now he nees to just swim away

[Hulk]

Kind of a let down. I would have preferred a better opponent

well apart from Pavlik who really is there? well i mean he could have taken on Bika but that's about it

I believe Bute already beat Bika a couple years ago quite soundly.

And Brinkley did earn his shot, but basically he earned himself a good ass whipping.

And a good pay day hopefully for him.

[ElTerribleMorales]

Kind of a let down. I would have preferred a better opponent

well apart from Pavlik who really is there? well i mean he could have taken on Bika but that's about it

I believe Bute already beat Bika a couple years ago quite soundly.

And Brinkley did earn his shot, but basically he earned himself a good ass whipping.

And a good pay day hopefully for him.

yea he did, but Bika is the only other "big" name around at 168 right now, and well Bika has won 6 in a row including the Contender tourney (even if that doesn't mean much, it was the most stacked Contender tourney out) 4 of them coming by KO, i'm not saying it would have been any different but it's the only sell-able fight out there

that said Brinkley (although completely limited) has earned his shot

[killersheep]

Brinkley earned this shot point blank, excellent game plan against Stevens and flipped the script on what was supposed to happen in that fight. I can't hold it against Bute for fighting a mandatory that earned his try. All that being said it should be an easy night for Bute, but Brinkley is a smart fighter with a good corner and should last longer than any other Bute's recent opponents.

Agree big time with No Contest, think about the wars the winner of the Super 6 will have been through, that will all play in Bute's favor.

[Rantcatrat]

Strategically, taking care of the mandatory makes the most sense for Bute right now.

As is stands, Bute has limited options, but that may change by the fall. I understand it's a long shot, but if Green knocks out Kessler, he probably moves into the next round, but if he beats Kessler by decision, he doesn't. Let's say Green beats Kessler by decision (again I understand long shot), Green wins the belt and is out of the tourney, and would be available for a unification fight with Bute. Kessler would be a good opponent too if he was knocked out and sent home because he has a big name. If Froch is knocked out by Abraham, he may not make it to the next round and would be another good, available opponent for Bute. Hopkins at 170 would still be a great fight in six months if he wanted it then and he would have aged another six months making him a safer opponent with the same name value.

In sum, if Green knocks out Kessler, fight Kessler, then Hopkins; if Green wins by decision, fight Green, then Hopkins; if Kessler wins, fight an older Hopkins. That is why I understand the Brinkley fight now.

Plus, I really doubt Pavlik would step in the ring with Bute after losing his last high profile fight. Let's be realistic: Stieglitz won't fight Bute or anyone worth talking about. And currently everyone else Bute's either faced or is tied up in the Super Six.

Lastly, no doubt Brinkley earned this shot and I respect him. Good guy and hard worker. Bute will outclass him, but Brinkley will get a big pay day on HBO. And he earned it.