By Bill Emes
Both Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal are not in the immediate plans of IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (30-0, 24KOs). The Montreal star is focused on landing a 2012 showdown against WBA/WBC champion Andre Ward, or former two-time champion Carl Froch.
Hopkins, the WBC's light heavyweight champion, could be an option for Bute if Ward and Froch are unavailable. A fight with Hopkins would have to take place at a catch-weight, likely at 171-pounds, according to Bute himself. Hopkins, during a few recent interviews, called for a fight with Bute in 2012.
A rep for InterBox, who promote Bute, said the following - "We are still focused on the winner of the Super Six. Hopkins still has a belt and still has a story in Montreal [with the win over Pascal], so he could help us get more exposure in the United States....so that could be a good Plan B. Pascal is not in our goals right now. That is more of a local fight [in Canada] and that could still be there anyway in 2012 or 2013. We want to be recognized in the U.S., and if the two guys don't want to fight us [Ward and Froch], then Hopkins could be a good option."
