Carl Froch's consolation for losing the Super Six final and with it his WBC super-middleweight title will be two hugely enriching fights next year against IBF belt-holder Lucian Bute.
The second of those two opportunities to re-establish himself quickly as a world champion will also enable Froch to fulfil his ambition of fighting in his beloved Nottingham Forest's football stadium.
With rising American superstar
Bute, the Canadian-based Romanian, agreed to the two-fight proposal from Froch's promoter Eddie Hearn. The first fight is projected for Montreal in April, the return at Forest's City Ground in June or July. Froch said: 'That will be just fantastic. It's my dream.'
Hearn said: 'This must be the quickest and easiest deal we've done. We take the British end, they take the Canadian money and we split the rest 50-50, for both fights. Nice and simple.'
Bute was in the historic Boardwalk Hall to watch Ward's brilliant victory and his annoyance with some of Froch's earlier remarks helped clinch the deal.
The Nottingham Cobra, 34, had accused Bute of enjoying an easy ride while the rest of the world's top super-middleweights have spent two years battling each other to a standstill in the Super Six tournament.
Bute, 31, said: 'My next ambition is to close Carl's big mouth. He is arrogant and has too much to say. The truth of the Super Six is that I was very disappointed not to be invited. While Ward deserved this victory my preference is still to fight Froch and teach him a lesson.'
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-2075860/Carl-Froch-lines-bouts-Lucian-Bute.html?ITO=1490
It wasn't like Bute was throwing a fit over it or even pushing to be in the Super 6 either.Allan Green and Sakio Bika were begging for this tourney-where can you find any comment from Bute that even hints that he wanted in the tournament???? He never pushed for it.Do you really think that Bute wouldn't have been accepted in the Super 6 if people like Green and Johnson were welcomed when there were no willing people to be replaced for Taylor or Dirrell???
The super 6 was based on the best fighting the best,if he raised his hand and asked for the opportunity,can you even think of one reason why they wouldn't let him???
He didn't make a fuss because Showtime had made it clear to him that they weren't going to invite him whatever he did, and had also made it clear to him that if he kept on good terms with them and kept winning, he'd get his rewards in the long run.
Showtime weren't interested in him partly because he didn't fit their 3 Americans vs. 3 Europeans strategy, partly because he had already signed for the rematch with Andrade to be held after the date the Super 6 was due to kick off, partly because after the first Andrade fight there was still a lot of scepticism about him, and partly because he wasn't big box office in the US or Europe, and Showtime is a US network, and Sauerland was doing the European promotion.
Sounds like a fair deal and an awesome matchup. Both are hittable. Potentially FOTY candidates.
Making a deal with 2 fights makes sense. No way they could have agreed on venue had it only been one fight.
retarded Bute haters are running out of ammo
:tragedy:
:wave:
I'll have plenty of ammo when Froch is standing over Bute's lifeless corpse. So no worries.
Phantom: it is scheduled already...it IS happening.
I think Ward was right to take a break...Smart fighter. He will be able to disect Bute and will be prepared for him after Bute puts Froch into retirement
Froch knocks Bute out, homie. Watch.
It wasn't a career decision. He wasn't invited. Showtime excluded him. What part of "he wasn't invited" don't you understand? He had no choice in the matter.
It wasn't like Bute was throwing a fit over it or even pushing to be in the Super 6 either.Allan Green and Sakio Bika were begging for this tourney-where can you find any comment from Bute that even hints that he wanted in the tournament???? He never pushed for it.Do you really think that Bute wouldn't have been accepted in the Super 6 if people like Green and Johnson were welcomed when there were no willing people to be replaced for Taylor or Dirrell???
The super 6 was based on the best fighting the best,if he raised his hand and asked for the opportunity,can you even think of one reason why they wouldn't let him???
Lol so basically have another super six instead of having the two top guys fight. Not liking that idea at all. A froch vs kessler rematch makes sense, ward kessler makes none.
Lmao Essentially. Can't wait!!
Translation: Bute will never fight Ward :lol1:
Bute: "I want to fight Ward next. If that can't be made I want to fight Froch next and then Ward after that."
Ward: "Bute doesn't deserve to fight me next, he hasn't got a good enough resume. Anyway I don't want to even think about my next fight for a few weeks, I deserve some time off."
Bute: "Okay I'll fight Froch next, in that case."
Shiranui: "Translation: Bute will never fight Ward :lol1:"
Haters will always be haters, I guess ... :)
I'm a little tired, a little drunk; why would Froch's camp be setting up two fights with Bute? Generally you don't start discussing rematches before the first fight. There's rematch clauses but why would you say you're gonna fight a guy twice? Someone enlighten me..
Froch wants a fight in the UK and it's big money for both fighters
''COME ON CARL YOU CAN DO IT CARL!! COME ON (gulp) - COME ON GET UP CARL !!''
A Rachael Cordingley story.
Carl has been down once in his entire career and he got up to knock the guy out.
Agreed...
And honestly if i were Bute i would fight Froch too, its a good purse and i think he has the style to beat him.
Ward its too good and he knows it, and also he doesnt bring that much money than Froch, he wont have anyone to fight anyways and a fight with bute in the future will cost more.
Honestly i dont see anybody beating Ward for a while.
Yup... and in the end it will be Bute-Froch in front of 20K @ the Bell Centre..... Evenly matched fight in which I think Bute wins.
and meanwhile, in Las Vegas sometime in the spring, Super Six Cup Winning, Unified, Fighter of the Year and Ring Champ Andre Ward will fight a stay busy fight in front of 885 paying customers in an otherwise completely papered house.
boxing economics 101
Agreed...
And honestly if i were Bute i would fight Froch too, its a good purse and i think he has the style to beat him.
Ward its too good and he knows it, and also he doesnt bring that much money than Froch, he wont have anyone to fight anyways and a fight with bute in the future will cost more.
Honestly i dont see anybody beating Ward for a while.
Ward said he didn't want to fight Bute unless the money was absolutely massive because, he said, Bute doesn't deserve a fight with him; and he also said that he didn't even want to think about his next fight for several weeks, he wants some time off first. And the money wouldn't be massive if it were held in NY, so the fight's effectively off the table until Ward is willing to be realistic about the money. (The money could be massive if it were held n Canada, but Ward would never agree for the fight to be held there).
Bute said before the fight that he wants to fight Ward at MSG next, but said that if that fight couldn't be made he wanted Froch. The Ward fight couldn't be made, or not in the short term, because Ward isn't interested in it yet, so he's gone for Froch. as he promised to.
Ward-Bute can still happen in late 2012. Ward will no longer have the weak resume excuse once Bute has beaten Froch twice, especially if he does so in style, which should also make the financial negotiations more straightforward.
i like ward, but this is what separates froch from guys like ward in terms of being a people's champ. . . no calculated risks. . fighting the best of the best back to back to back. . no "tune up" fights in between. . . or "stay busy" fights. . .
i bet ward will pull a bradley or a martinez. . or even a bute, and stay at home and fight guys who are carefully selected with the most name value and least risk.
Naah .. he is just more sellable because he is been in great fights.
Truth its most champs dont want to fight a guy with Wards Style. Tough, slick , fast and also kinnda dirty.
i like ward, but this is what separates froch from guys like ward in terms of being a people's champ. . . no calculated risks. . fighting the best of the best back to back to back. . no "tune up" fights in between. . . or "stay busy" fights. . .
i bet ward will pull a bradley or a martinez. . or even a bute, and stay at home and fight guys who are carefully selected with the most name value and least risk.
well said Froch could have took the easy way back and fought some no talent in England. to me this fight is 50/50 very winnable for Froch
Folks...watch the Eddie Hearn video in the video section- this will clear alot of things up. He says he spoke to Bute's people the afternoon of the fight on Saturday and they came to a deal in principle for the 2 fight deal.
Also, to clarify Ward's position, he says clearly in the one on one video interview that he wasn't passing a fight up with Bute, and if it was the best deal then its the fight he wanted.
The strange reality of this whole thing is that in the end, it will be Bute who will hold all of the cards, and decide which opponent he wants - because both Ward and Froch will need a dancing partner and Bute will be the biggest $$$ fight out there.
Agreed...
And honestly if i were Bute i would fight Froch too, its a good purse and i think he has the style to beat him.
Ward its too good and he knows it, and also he doesnt bring that much money than Froch, he wont have anyone to fight anyways and a fight with bute in the future will cost more.
Honestly i dont see anybody beating Ward for a while.
Whether Bute wasn't invited, or just didn't want to, not participating in the super 6 is one of the smartest career decisions of the last 5 years in this sport.
It wasn't a career decision. He wasn't invited. Showtime excluded him. What part of "he wasn't invited" don't you understand? He had no choice in the matter.
If this turns out to be true, props to both guys. It's a tough fight for both and, if the Six taught anything, it's that they fight the fights for a reason. Only one guy got out unscathed. Froch going on the road again for a toughie is why he is excellent and Bute being willing to travel for a return (and I assume there would be stips for that) keeps the division vibrant already for 2012.
Crossed fingers.
I think it must be true, except that The Mail implied that the deal has actually been signed already, whereas it seems that it's only been agreed to in principle with a signature expected "within the next week". The Mail on its own isn't a very credible source, but it's been backed up (with the above proviso that it's not signed yet but has been agreed to in principle by both sides) by several other national newspapers, including some of the quality broadsheets, such as The Guardian (here), which would be extremely unlikely if it weren't accurate.
Whether Bute wasn't invited, or just didn't want to, not participating in the super 6 is one of the smartest career decisions of the last 5 years in this sport.