By Luke Furman
Former super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (31-2, 24KOs) has begin training with brothers Howard and Otis Grant. There has been a good chemistry between them.
The last two years have been difficult for Bute. After two defeats in his last three fights - against Carl Froch and Jean Pascal - he parted ways with longtime coach Stephan Larouche and then briefly trained with Freddie Roach before they split.
Bute has been inactive since his defeat to Pascal in January of 2014. He was going to return last December against Roberto Bolonti, but withdraw after suffering a back injury in training camp with Roach.
Bute is looking to return in August or September - at the super middleweight limit of 168-pounds.
Training with the Grant brothers allows Bute to stay close to everything. Earlier this year Bute signed with manager/adviser Al Haymon.
"I have a life here, I have a family here. I can not always go to California where [Roach] leads several boxers," said Bute in an interview with TVA Sports. "Howard knows boxing well; he was boxer and coach and he teaches me things. I have confidence and I feel it already.
"I feel good, I'm healthy. They just have to tell me the date and opponent and I'll be ready."
Luke Furman covers boxing for bokser.org.