Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
WBN Editor
30-0 champion eyes recognition
Romanian-Canadian Lucian Bute expects to get the credit he
believes he deserves by defeating world-ranked Carl Froch on the two-time WBC
champion’s home soil in Nottingham tonight.
The 32 year-old IBF champion has a perfect 30-0 record with
24 stoppages, but now seeks out an enhanced reputation and would certainly gain
it if he can become the fight man to stop ‘The Cobra’ at the Capital FM Arena.
Bute has fringe world-class fighters like Glen Johnson and
Brian Magee in his W column, but lacks any top names to brag about, with Froch
by far the weightiest scalp if ‘Le Tombeur’ can pull it off in front of
thousands of fans baying for his blood.
Froch, 34, is obviously looking to put himself back in with
the elite names at 168lbs after losing badly against Super-Six champion and
two-belt world title holder Andre Ward in his previous outing.
The Briton is still highly-regarded despite his loss to the
American, although a third defeat in five bouts would lead many to believe that
his best days are behind him and Froch is no longer a top draw fighter.
On the flip-side, Froch could become a three-time world super-middleweight
champion if he can rip away Bute’s title belt tonight and put himself back in
the frame for a lucrative three-title unification rematch with the winner of the
upcoming Ward v Chad Dawson bout in September.
Undefeated Belfast fighter Carl Frampton heads the undercard
with an attempt at the vacant IBF Inter-Continental super-bantamweight title
against Mexican Raul Hirales and could face the winner of Scott Quigg v Rendall
Munroe later this year if victorious.