[Roe]

It's a shame injury has set back his scheduled fight with Jean Pascal. Bute didn't look good against Denis Grachev last time out and the pasting he got from Froch was a major setback for the man that some saw as the best at super middleweight.

Now he probably won't return til the end of the year but do you think Bute will ever get back into top form again?

 

[BoxingAnalyst]

People thought he was pretty much unbeatable pre-Froch so I can't see how he'll ever get back to where he was, beating Pascal would have been a start. Is htat fight still hjappening later this year?

 

[Roe]

They were talking about Bute/Pascal happening in December but I'm not sure how concrete it is.

 

[Casual Benson's Unknown]

I hope he goes on to prove that he's a good fighter, partly because he seems like a decent guy, but mostly for Froch's legacy. I did/do favour him over Pascal but don't see him beating the truly elite at 168/175

 

[adamcanavan]

I think bute beats pascal but i dont see him quite getting back to the same level he was considered at pre-froch i think he can do well at 175, pascal cleverly and dawson would be a good run for him and its achievable i think

 

[kingkodi]

He didn't look like the same fighter in his last bout. I hope Froch hasn't ruined him.

 

[Yiddle]

not sure if he will beat pascal ,after he lost so badly against froch it will be interesting to see how he reacts mentally if he is caught early and hurt by pascal

 

[turbotime]

Bute lasting the distance with Pascal will be a minor miracle. Pascal is just too rough and tumble in the same cloth as Froch is and even if Bute tries to stink it out early and run Pascal will still chase him down and beat him up in clinches.

Sucks, as I'm a big Bute fan, but it is what it is.

 

[Grant]

I don't think so. I feel it was mostly smoke and mirrors anyway.

He'd be retired now if he'd entered the Super 6.

 

[Wickio]

I highly doubt it, whether he was over-hyped or not leading into the fight, Froch ruined him. I can't see him reaching the very top again.

Speaking of which, is Bute's rematch clause still valid? Not heard much about that lately.

 

[SimonTemplar]

do you think Bute will ever get back into top form again?

No.

I'm not quite sure whether Froch just exposed the Bute secret, or actually Bute deserved the reputation at that point but Froch ruined him, but either way it's a no from me. Froch and Ward would do a number on him every time, and others (even people like Groves) will take enough confidence from the Bute-Froch fight that they will give him trouble they wouldn't have before. He's done at the very top level.

 

[BUMPY]

Never saw him as a force, I always knew he was completely overated. I remember seeing one fight of his and the ref saved his arse in a major way, from then on I knew he would struggle at the top level.

 

[Jasper Simone]

Froch destroyed him, took his heart and soul. His long unbeaten record going into that fight would have seen him entering the fight confident in his own abilities to take out Froch. His destruction must have shattered that inner belief beyond repair and for me there is absolutely no way he will ever regain it and be as good as he was.

 

[kingkodi]

Never saw him as a force, I always knew he was completely overated. I remember seeing one fight of his and the ref saved his arse in a major way, from then on I knew he would struggle at the top level.

Librado Andrade. It was some poor refereeing but tbf to Bute he destroyed Andrade on the return.

 

[BUMPY]

Librado Andrade. It was some poor refereeing but tbf to Bute he destroyed Andrade on the return.

That was it yeah, but a massive weakness was revealed, I mean can you imagine Froch in that sort of state!?

 

[allenko1]

no. to answer your question straight up. I really never thought much of him even when he was winning. to me he got what he could out of his career, Pascal is a big fight and it's unfortunate we wont see it Saturday. but, for him it's fine because I don't think he would've won anyway...

 

[kingkodi]

That was it yeah, but a massive weakness was revealed, I mean can you imagine Froch in that sort of state!?

No I can't and I agree with you : after seeing what happened in that fight I always believed Froch would batter Bute. Marlon Wright shouldn't have been allowed to ref another fight imo.

I was surprised when Bute agreed to fight Froch in Nottingham (brave of him). Bute was ringside when Froch KO'd Jermaine Taylor and I always thought that would've put him off. I guess people read too much into Ward's handling of Froch.

 

[BUMPY]

No I can't and I agree with you : after seeing what happened in that fight I always believed Froch would batter Bute. Marlon Wright shouldn't have been allowed to ref another fight imo.

I was surprised when Bute agreed to fight Froch in Nottingham (brave of him). Bute was ringside when Froch KO'd Jermaine Taylor and I always thought that would've put him off. I guess people read too much into Ward's handling of Froch.

Totally agree, it was a disgrace to the sport.

I think Bute must have bought into his own hype a little plus the Ward loss combined he thought he was the man, he was wrong!

 

[Vano-irons]

He looked exceptionally nervous against Grachev I thought. Every time he got clipped he was looking to hold or run a mile. I think a few stiffs could get him some confidence, but when he gets in there with another world class fighter, I think he is folded in two again. Pascal would have sparked him

 

[Post Box]

I don't see it tbh. He's 33 now and has looked poor in his last 2 fights (getting obliterated in one). The loss against Froch is the type that changes a fighter and from the sole performance we can judge that, it seems to have done. He will also have been pretty inactive and the hand injury seems like a bad one, which can also change a fighter. From suffering hand damage myself I always worry for fighters careers afterwards. It seems that everything that could go wrong for him is, from seemingly having everything his own way early on in his career it looks to be a real uphill struggle from here on