This Friday on SHOBOX, at the Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, IBF Super-Middleweight titlist, Lucian Bute, 22-0, 18 KO’s, takes a big step towards solidifying his reputation as a super-middleweight champ when he faces the challenge of Librado Andrade, 27-1, 21 KO’s.
Bute’s most notable results come from his last three fights, winning a UD against the solid chinned Sakio Bika in June last year in an IBF Eliminator, stopping Columbian, Alejandro Berrio in 11 rounds to win the title twelve months ago, and then beating the oft-decorated former middleweight titlist William Joppy in February of this year.
Currently ranked at number 2 by boxrec, the Canadian-based Romanian southpaw has it all to prove in a division still trying to achieve equilibrium following the abdication of Joe Calzaghe. The challenge facing Bute is the big punching Librado Andrade, a thirty year old Mexican whose only loss came on points to then WBA and WBC Champ Mikkel Kessler back in March 2007. Andrade also sports a 78” reach and a great punch. Kessler went on to prove how good he is in a valiant losing effort against Calzaghe and then by reclaiming the WBA title earlier this year when the Welshman moved up to light-heavy. For his part, Andrade has rebounded with three straight stoppage wins against opposition of mixed credentials and is currently boxrec’s number 8 super middleweight. This is a potentially absorbing title fight and, despite “home” advantage, this is no foregone conclusion for the champion.
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