Bute's Lackluster Opponents vs Andre Ward's Rough Schedule

[Cassius Liston]

Johnson was not a good filler. I yelled foul when that fight was made. I knew what the outcome was going to be, as did everyone else, when that fight was made.

Bute's the one trying to prove himself. Yes, if he wants to be considered an elite fighter, he must make the proper sacrifices like everyone else.

If he felt he couldn't get the right fights at 168, then he should've went to 175, not continue to fight sub par competition until the SS was finished and expect to fight the winner. Everyone knows that's a shortcut way to the top except you and a few others running around boxingscene.

Oh wait, he tried to fight better competition, but x,y, and z happened, so let's forget about the facts, but look at what he tried to do instead.

There sems to be a bit of Calzaghe in Bute.. he enjoys home comforts a bit too much,I think more than Ward..

If a fight was made between them Ward has obviously done so much more than Bute in such a short career and space of time that it should probably be in America

[BattleAxePurist]

By the time Ward fought AA, AA was already exposed. Yes, I've admitted this multiple times.

But Green was a solid opponent at the time. Do you even know where Green was at in his career when the fight took place? His only loss was to Miranda in a fight where he was fighting with some major disease. Green then went on to KO De Leon and UD Simms before entering the tourny. That's solid in my book.

Yes, Ward was the favorite against Froch, but that's because Ward made all his victories in the tourny look easy. But Ward shouldn't be penalyzed for that especially when Froch was one of the original contestants in SS in the first place.

Green is just not that good IMO
Couldn't see him beating Andrade ,Bika we know he can't beat Johnson and Miranda you can throw Zuniga and Berrio in as well

[turbotime]

You keep mentioning Bute wasn't invited into the tourny. But why should it matter; according to you, the tourny was weak anyway. Since the tourny was weak, Bute should've been fighting all the solid opposition outside of the tourny, correct?

Secondly, Johnson would've had to kill Bute in order to win. Based on Johnson's previous fights before the SS, and after it, everyone knew Johnson didn't have what it took to win in Cananda. Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't like fighters fighting good opposition after losing a fight. I think they should fight a few gimme's then fight the better opposition.

I think this applies to Froch as well. Even though Froch beat AA when Froch was coming off a loss to Kessler, but AA was coming off a loss to Dirrel as well in a fight where he was clearly beaten before the foul.

That said, if Froch has a chance to fight lower skilled opposition and get his confidence back before he fights Bute, I think Froch vs Bute is a 50/50 fight. But if he fights Bute as planned, after losing to Ward, I have Bute winning.

Negative- one of the the Tourney's most glaring faults was the eclusion of Bute and the inclusion of a eurobum middleweight and past-it middleweight. Swap Bute in instead of Abraham or Taylor, and you got yourself a quality tournament of quality 168 Pound fighters.

-So because you knew Bute would beat Johnson, the fight should never have happened? I knew Froch hadn't a prayer vs Ward, so that fight shouldn't have happened either, right? Might as well have just given Ward the win and saved Froch the embarassment.

[BattleAxePurist]

Bute had offers from Cloud, Pascal and Hopkins.

You mean LHWs Pascal would be the only one that could be argued
Cloud couldn't even make a fight with Pascal
Hopkins was just talk he had a contract with HBO and wanted the Pascal rematch and then HAD to face Dawson

Stiglitz,Pavlik and Kessler all looked in other directions

[BoxingGenius27]

Negative- one of the the Tourney's most glaring faults was the eclusion of Bute and the inclusion of a eurobum middleweight and past-it middleweight. Swap Bute in instead of Abraham or Taylor, and you got yourself a quality tournament of quality 168 Pound fighters.

-So because you knew Bute would beat Johnson, the fight should never have happened? I knew Froch hadn't a prayer vs Ward, so that fight shouldn't have happened either, right? Might as well have just given Ward the win and saved Froch the embarassment.

I agree with Taylor, but you're wrong about Abraham. Bute had just went life and death with Andrade, tell me how he was better than Abraham at the time. So what if Abraham was at 160. I think Abraham was more accomplished at 160, then Bute was at 168. Abraham was even favored to win the tourny before it began.

A few posts back, I already addressed the Ward vs Froch scenario and how that compared to Johnson vs Bute in this thread. If you want, check it out.

[BoxingGenius27]

Green is just not that good IMO
Couldn't see him beating Andrade ,Bika we know he can't beat Johnson and Miranda you can throw Zuniga and Berrio in as well

At the time (before Ward fight), I think Green could've beaten everyone except maybe Johnson. Actually, Green was possibly a better fighter than Miranda at the time. Once again, Green was terminally ill during his fight with Miranda, yet he still managed to knock Miranda down.

People forget this, but Green was coming off a loss when he fought Johnson as well.

This is just another example of once a fighter loses, he was never that good to begin with.

[Cassius Liston]

Negative- one of the the Tourney's most glaring faults was the eclusion of Bute and the inclusion of a eurobum middleweight and past-it middleweight. Swap Bute in instead of Abraham or Taylor, and you got yourself a quality tournament of quality 168 Pound fighters.

-So because you knew Bute would beat Johnson, the fight should never have happened? I knew Froch hadn't a prayer vs Ward, so that fight shouldn't have happened either, right? Might as well have just given Ward the win and saved Froch the embarassment.

yeah well Abraham was undefeated and a knockout master, he's only been beaten by Elite fighters/world champions.. hardly a bum

Johnson was on a losing streak ,an old fighter and obviously past it
Froch was on a winning collision with Ward

[turbotime]

I agree with Taylor, but you're wrong about Abraham. Bute had just went life and death with Andrade, tell me how he was better than Abraham at the time. So what if Abraham was at 160. I think Abraham was more accomplished at 160, then Bute was at 168. Abraham was even favored to win the tourny before it began.

A few posts back, I already addressed the Ward vs Froch scenario and how that compared to Johnson vs Bute in this thread. If you want, check it out.

Ok, then take out Taylor and put Bute in. Regardless, the tournament was faulty before it began with the exclusion of Bute.

[Cassius Liston]

Ok, then take out Taylor and put Bute in. Regardless, the tournament was faulty before it began with the exclusion of Bute.

Not really ,Froch was a definite for the tourny and he had an amazing fight with Taylor(who wouldn't want to see that rematch at the time?) its like the HBo commentators say at like round 9 of a fight... "whatever happens the fighter gains credibility and Taylor certainly had his moments and anything could have happened in that fight so everyone wanted to see if he had what it takes.. he deserved it

[turbotime]

Not really ,Froch was a definite for the tourny and he had an amazing fight with Taylor(who wouldn't want to see that rematch at the time?) its like the HBo commentators say at like round 9 of a fight... "whatever happens the fighter gains credibility and Taylor certainly had his moments and anything could have happened in that fight so everyone wanted to see if he had what it takes.. he deserved it

Stop it, that was the commentators trying to vindicate Taylor's spot in the tourney. Taylor being KTFO twice in 3 fights, 0-2 at 168 should not have qualified him for the tourney.