Should Ward have fought Bute before Froch did? Was Bute deserving?

[bojangles1987]

The fight should have been made before the Froch fight. It was one of the biggest fights in boxing.

Sillakh, Proska and Jacobs were never long reigning world champions.

It's funny how people (myself included) rambled on about Bute not stepping up to fight top comp but then he wants to fight THE top guy in the division and its like "well he doesn't deserve it"

Its not like Ward fought someone else instead though. He was hurt, he waited, Froch smashed Bute, the fight wasn't interesting anymore. So whatever, screw Bute.

[-Lowkey-]

Pavlik has better names on his resume than Lucian Bute. Pavlik has never been absolutely destroyed like Bute was vs. Froch, and Pavlik has fought several fighters ranked higher than Froch.

Simply not true.

Pavlik has done nothing of note (apart from becoming alcohol dependent) since his second win over Taylor back in 2008. The jury is very much out on him as to whether or not he is completely shot. Personally I think he is.

[Doctor_Tenma]

Yeah and I'd still like to even see the fight now.

This ridiculous notion that because Froch destroyed Bute automatically means we should never see Bute-Ward is hilarious.

Yet we're gonna see Ward-Pavlik instead...

Why?!!

[Red Power]

Simply not true.

Pavlik has done nothing of note (apart from becoming alcohol dependent) since his second win over Taylor back in 2008. The jury is very much out on him as to whether or not he is completely shot. Personally I think he is.

Pavlik has fought Jermain Taylor 2x, Bernard Hopkins, and Sergio Martinez. All of those fighters are held (or were held in that time) in higher regard than Carl Froch is today. In none of those 4 fights did Pavlik ever come close to getting utterly destroyed as Lucian Bute was vs. Carl Froch.

While the jury is out on Pavlik, they are also deliberating on Lucian Bute. And while they do, they should consider that Pavlik actually fought the best, and while proved himself to not be a great fighter, actually withstood the assault against all his opponents, and even won a couple. What's Bute's best win? Sakio Bika or a shot Glen Johnson?

[-Kev-]

The fight should have been made before the Froch fight. It was one of the biggest fights in boxing.

Sillakh, Proska and Jacobs were never long reigning world champions.

It's funny how people (myself included) rambled on about Bute not stepping up to fight top comp but then he wants to fight THE top guy in the division and its like "well he doesn't deserve it"

Let's say Froch destroys Bute once again, why would you want to see Ward-Bute? I hate fights like that.

[Cutthroat]

I don't think so, Bute was acting like he was the king of 168, he wanted it in his hometown even though he hadn't done shyt, Ward knew this and told him to prove himself. A few months later Bute goes after Froch to prove himself and gets annihilated.

Ward doesn't duck anybody, his resume speaks for itself just 28 years old with wins over Miranda, Green, Bika, Kessler (Ward was just 26), Abraham, Froch, Dawson, that is highly impressive. That shows he fears no fighter IMO.

[JDezi4]

Considering that Bute was believed to be the #2 in the division (prior to the Super 6 finale, he was argued at #1)

I think the fight warranted some build up... And since most people expected him to beat Froch, which would have made their imminent clash just about PPV worthy, I think its better that he was exposed

Fight fans miss out on a nice #1 vs #2 billed fight, but at least we now know that Ward is without a doubt the #1 fighter in the division

[Jack Napier]

what would be the point?
Ward gets more props for Dawson than he woulda got for Bute
Bute woulda been deserving, he had a belt and wasn't in the series
prefer things worked out the way they have at SMW
Froch gets Bute and keeps his stock up
better than Ward beating both him and Froch, so Froch's out in the cold

[Weebler I]

Why?!!

Because styles make fights.

[Doctor_Tenma]

Because styles make fights.

What does Bute have in his arsenal that would be troubling for Ward, what exactly?