If Bute was in the SMW tournament...

i think bute would handle the 2 olympians quite well but aside from that im struggling to see any wins for him. if he could fight hard for 12 rounds id say he could give kess a very good run for his money and maybe even outbox him but first of all he has to prove that he has improveds his conditioning. theres no better test than the rematch with andrade, andrade will not be put away early and he knows that he can catch bute late in the fight. bute vs taylor - it would be an interesting fight to see who gases first!!right now id say bute because taylor is not there mentally. bute vs AA - AA by brutal late KO, i think AA would target the body and draine butes energy. bute's speed and combos would land on AA's gloves/forearms and late in the fight i think AA would take him out. bute vs froch - i see this fight going in the same direction as JT vs froch, late KO for froch bute vs kess - i think kess would fight at a harder, quicker pace if he felt that the fight was too close and would KO him late or he might cruise to a UD. but like i said if he could improve his stamina id put him up there with a very realistic chance of winning.

Kessler likely fights mandatory Gusmyl Perdomo on September 19 in Neubrandenburg, Germany. That should shed the rust. Or jeopardize the entire tournament :scared: Fu** this is way too exciting. I almost can’t stand it anymore lol I’m very confident in Kessler both beating his mandatory and winning the tourney, but it’s still too much to cope with. In the tourney a loss because of a lucky punch doesn’t matter too much, ‘cuz of the round robin-format, but what if Kesslers mandatory beforehand gets lucky in the split of a second and floors Kessler. WTF – it would all be over, before it got started. I know Kessler said, that if he can’t beat Perdomo, he doesn’t even belong in the tourney, but still… Oh man! It’s too much. I can’t remember when – if ever – a sports event have gotten me this worked up!! I regard Bute as extremely overrated, which is why he isn’t in the pack, if you ask me, so I call it a total loss for him against any of the fighters!

my thoughts exactly. Although, my only reservatons on Kessler as a whole are his having been out of the ring for a year by the time he fights Ward. In a vacuum, he not only beats Andre but knocks him silly. But after a year layoff, and possibly fighting in Ward's hometown? For some reason, I'm not having a hard time envisioning a Taylor-Hopkins 1 type outcome, where Kessler deserves to win but Andre is given the fight based on athleticism and whatever other intangibles the judges decide to apply while grading on a curve. Kessler likely fights mandatory Gusmyl Perdomo on September 19 in Neubrandenburg, Germany. That should shed the rust. Or jeopardize the entire tournament :scared:

All pretty even so far, doesn't seem to be much of a consensus.

i wouldn't put him above kessler...that's all i can say about that...

Worst of the group he would get eaten alive by any of the six.

I see him beating Taylor, Dirrell, Froch and Ward. Kessler and Abraham beats him IMO. my thoughts exactly. Although, my only reservatons on Kessler as a whole are his having been out of the ring for a year by the time he fights Ward. In a vacuum, he not only beats Andre but knocks him silly. But after a year layoff, and possibly fighting in Ward's hometown? For some reason, I'm not having a hard time envisioning a Taylor-Hopkins 1 type outcome, where Kessler deserves to win but Andre is given the fight based on athleticism and whatever other intangibles the judges decide to apply while grading on a curve.

I see him beating Taylor, Dirrell, Froch and Ward. Kessler and Abraham beats him IMO.

I'd still have Kessler as the favorite but he'd be the number 2 seed IMO.