Bute Feels Confident After Win, Eyes Jack-Groves Winner

By Luke Furman

Former super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (32-2, 25KOs) feels confident and rejuvenated after getting a TKO win last week, after returning to the ring for the first time in 19 months.

Due to injuries and other complications, Bute had been out of the ring since his decision loss to Jean Pascal in January of 2014.

Bute returned to the Bell Centre in Montreal and stopped Andrea Di Luisa in four rounds.

It was Bute's first stoppage win since 2011.

It was also his first bout with new trainers Howard and Otis Grant. Bute hopes to return to the fall and has one eye on the WBC super middleweight championship, which is held by Badou Jack, who defends that title next month against George Groves on the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Andre Berto undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"I needed that after a long break of 19 months and especially after how I had lost against Carl Froch and Jean Pascal. I had to rebuild my confidence," said Bute to RDS.

"I did a good job with Howard and Otis Grant. We worked together on my strategy and I respected a lot of the advice I was given: move your head, be more active and aggressive. The whole team was satisfied. I spoke with Howard after the fight and yesterday he called me to tell me he was very happy."

"By the end of the year, for sure I'm coming back to the ring, either in October or November."