Comments Thread For: Jean Pascal-Lucian Bute: Pre-Fight Report Card

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Cliff Rold - It might have been bigger a couple of years ago. It’s not certain it would have been more fun.

A couple years ago, when Jean Pascal reigned as the Light Heavyweight Champion and Lucian Bute a titlist at Super Middleweight, the chance was there for an intriguing clash with high stakes. This Saturday, with both men having losses in their recent past, their titles behind them…

…well, it’s still plenty intriguing. It’s also likely more a high wire act than an earlier showdown would have been. Neither man can afford to lose.

Bute, off a shelling at the hands of Carl Froch and a narrow escape against rugged Denis Grachev, can be perceived as damaged goods. A loss on Saturday could confirm his best days are behind him.

Pascal, despite being the rare man to visibly rock the great Bernard Hopkins in both their fights, including two knockdowns in the first, couldn’t figure the old man out. A loss to Bute would push him far back in line. [Click Here To Read More]

[sugarsmosley]

Excited for this fight! Pascal by KO!

[M4RK]

Excited too, tough call, but im going against the tide and picking bute by ko!

[mattr]

Groupthink? Congratulations, you created another internet doucheword.
And so did i.

[ColWallace]

Groupthink? Congratulations, you created another internet doucheword.
And so did i.

Ha you're the idiot. 'Groupthink' theory has existed for decades. Go back to school, fool...

[crold1]

Ha you're the idiot. 'Groupthink' theory has existed for decades. Go back to school, fool...

Yeah, that's a pretty common word.

[londoner]

Bute has physical advantages here and has shown in the past that he knows how to make the most of them. Maybe the Froch demons will resurface in his mind if Jean jumps on him as expected but I think Bute can spear Pascal with straight shots all night and that vicious left uppercut of his can be the fight's defining tool against a guy who might be made for it.

[BattlingNelson]

This should be a good fight. My money is on Bute. An issue Rold didn't touch is an important one IMO and that is weight.

Bute drained himself quite a bit to make the SMW limit in the last couple of years, so I reckon he should be well suited for 175 and his chin should be better as well. That might elevate his chin ranking from crystal to just Poor. Anyway he will be back home in Quebec and I suspect the crowd will be solidly in his corner. There will be no freezing as there where in Nottingham.

Furthermore Bute's excellent bodywork should help decrease Pascals already sluggish output.

So I'm thinking Bute wins a rather comfortable decision here.

Of course there is always the chance of Pascal reaching those fragile whiskers of Bute, but that just adds to the intrigue of this fine matchup.

[dan_cov]

Closer the fight near the more I am favouring Pascal. Butes punch resistance is always a cause for concern but what concerns me more is his inability to recover. His recuperative abilities are non existent, when that guy gets hit, he stays hit!

Its inevitable Pascal will hurt him at some point and its all downhill from there for Bute.

[BattlingNelson]

Closer the fight near the more I am favouring Pascal. Butes punch resistance is always a cause for concern but what concerns me more is his inability to recover. His recuperative abilities are non existent, when that guy gets hit, he stays hit!

Its inevitable Pascal will hurt him at some point and its all downhill from there for Bute.

I agree that Bute was hurt by practically every single powershot Froch landed, but I think part of that can be attributed to weight draining. He looked healthier at yesterdays weighin than what he has done in recent years.