by David P. Greisman

Lucian Bute hasn’t fought since a year, not since his loss to Jean Pascal in January 2014. He was supposed to fight this past December, only to suffer a back injury.

He’s since healed and was seen at the weigh-in for Pascal’s fight with Sergey Kovalev, where he discussed what could come next.

“I started training a few weeks ago. I feel good. My back is OK now,” he said, noting that he had sprained the left side of his back. “I think maybe later, two, three months in June, July, I’m ready.”

Bute had turned pro at light heavyweight, but it was at super middleweight where he saw his greatest success, capturing a world title in 2007, making nine successful defenses and becoming a superstar in Quebec. He lost the title to Carl Froch via fifth-round technical knockout back in 2012.

The Pascal fight was at light heavyweight. Bute’s mulling whether to stay at 175 or drop back to super middleweight.

“I don’t know at this moment. I would like to go down to 168,” he said. “I am not sure. It is my dream to go down to 168.”

Bute would like to face “any champion” in the division, which would mean names such as Andre Ward, Froch, Arthur Abraham, the winner of the upcoming fight between Anthony Dirrell and Badou Jack, or the winner of the upcoming bout between Andre Dirrell and James DeGale.

“My agent will decide, my promoter will decide,” Bute said.

Bute is signed with adviser Al Haymon, which could point toward fights with the winners of the Anthony Dirrell-Jack bout or against Andre Dirrell if he tops DeGale.

He’s also still planning on working with trainer Freddie Roach in the future, though he’s not back with him just yet.

“Now I am still in Montreal,” Bute said. “Last time I spoke with Freddie in the Philippines. He said to go to Montreal to recover your back, and after that when you’re ready to go in the gym, call me.

“He’s a very good trainer,” Bute said. “I’m very confident with him. He’s a very nice guy. He knows boxing. He speaks boxing.”

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