Comments Thread For: Froch, Ward Agree: Winner is The Best at 168, Not Bute

[Weebler I]

That's not being disputed by anyone. But if the Super 6 winner refuses to fight Bute, that would be a clear duck and they would then lose all credibility as the lineal title holder. In the eyes of true boxing fans, if that happened, the lineal title would become effectively vacant.

Not really in the case of Froch. He has unfinished business with Kessler so I would not be surprised to see Froch/Kessler II in Nottingham.

[Dave Rado]

The lineal title holder remains the lineal title holder regardless of Lucian Bute. Until they lose a fight or vacate.

Personally I feel the winner should take a well-deserved break and let Bute fight the loser or Kessler first. Before giving him a shot.

Not really in the case of Froch. He has unfinished business with Kessler so I would not be surprised to see Froch/Kessler II in Nottingham.

I didn't say the winner would necessarily need to fight Bute in their very next fight and I would certainly have no problem with them fighting Kessler first but they would bring the title into disrepute and destroy all their credibility as title holder if they avoided Bute for long. I and most boxing fans would then regard their lineal title as we did when Erdei held it, as meaningless; and would consider the real title to be effectively vacant.

[ShoulderRoll]

You can consider it vacant but you'd be wrong. What a linear champ wins in the ring can only be taken from him in one of two ways as I said.

In any case I don't expect either Andre or Froch to be scared of Bute. (assuming they are paid what is appropriate for the #1 fighter in the division.)

[adietheforestfa]

If Froch beats Ward will Bute have the balls to travel to Nottingham to take the fight????

[steeluv]

Bute should fight in USA against the winner! Froch knocks him out and Ward beats him on the inside i think, Bute is a ***** when it comes to fighting outside Canada

[ShoulderRoll]

If Froch beats Ward will Bute have the balls to travel to Nottingham to take the fight????

He should. Froch as the winner of the tournament would deserve to call the shots.

[_original_]

Both guys beat Bootay IMO, but Ward is going to win tomorrow so I say give Bootay his chance


Ward - Bootay
Froch - Kessler II

[Dave Rado]

You can consider it vacant but you'd be wrong. What a linear champ wins in the ring can only be taken from him in one of two ways as I said.

In any case I don't expect either Andre or Froch to be scared of Bute. (assuming they are paid what is appropriate for the #1 fighter in the division.)

I said "effectively" for a reason. When Erdei was the lineal champ and was fighting bum after bum, and Roy Jones held three of the belts, which of them did you consider to be the real world champion? Erdei? Seriously? And how meaningful did you consider Erdei's lineal title? If the real world champion and the lineal champion are two different people, then the lineal title becomes completely meaningless. In fact Erdei's long lineal reign is one of the major reasons why so few journalists and boxers today give the lineal title the respect that it really should have.

And no top fighter is scared of any other top fighter. What they're scared of is the risk being greater than the reward - of losing out financially. Which is why Jones-Hopkins 2 didn't happen until it was too late to matter any more, and why Lewis-Bowe never happened at all. They weren't scared of each other, they just thought they could make very good money while taking lesser risks. And the Super 6 winner may well consider Bute to be a lot of risk for not enough reward. But that would devalue the lineal title to the point it would become worthless. When boxing the business trumps boxing the sport, both suffer in the long run.

[Dave Rado]

Bute should fight in USA against the winner! Froch knocks him out and Ward beats him on the inside i think, Bute is a ***** when it comes to fighting outside Canada

Bute's already said he's happy for the fight to be in a neutral venue.

And how often has Ward fought outside the USA? This is his first fight for a long time outside California FFS. At least Bute has the excuse that the figures don't normally stack up unless his fights are in Canada. Bute is one of the biggest draws in boxing today when his fights are in Canada but is not a big draw anywhere else. What excuse does Ward have? He's not a huge draw anywhere. And nor is Froch, BTW.

[Tiozzo]

He should. Froch as the winner of the tournament would deserve to call the shots.

bUTE AND fROCH SHOULD FIGHT IN NEUTRAL TERRITORY. Going to Nottingham to get shamelessly robbed like Dirrell is not a good plan.