Bute: ‘I can’t say I’m retiring.’
“You don’t retire from boxing. Boxing retires you.” — Bernard Hopkins
It has happened to all the greats in this vicious sport. They all eventually lose and don’t look particularly glorious in the process — from Mike Tyson getting knocked out by Buster Douglas in 1990, to Hopkins himself falling through the ropes last December while being knocked out by Joe Smith Jr.
Friday night — and not for the first time — it happened to Lucian Bute.
The former International Boxing Federation super-middleweight champion had won three of four rounds on two judges’ scorecards, when he was staggered from a short right he didn’t see from Eleider Alvarez in the fifth round. With Bute’s hands down and unable to defend himself, Alvarez delivered the coup de grâce — another devastating right that sent Bute to Queer Street, as it’s affectionately known.
Referee Marlon B. Wright, who had saved Bute eight years earlier in the final round against Librado Andrade, wisely halted the festivities on this night, the end coming at 2:22 of the fifth round before 7,842 Centre Vidéotron spectators.
Alvarez, a natural light heavyweight, remained undefeated (22-0 with 11 knockouts), solidifying his position as the topranked World Boxing Council contender in the 175-pound division. But for Bute, now 32-41, it’s another story in what has been a long, glorious and distinguished career.
Bute controlled the super-middleweight division from October 2007, when he defeated Alejandro Berrio for the title, until May 2012, when he was destroyed in five rounds by Carl Froch. In between, however, Bute made nine successful defences.
But counting the Froch defeat, Bute is now 2-4-1 in his last seven — a figure that should read 2-5, considering he was fortunate to escape with a majority draw last April against Badou Jack. Bute has lost two title bouts, three if one considers the defeat to Jean Pascal for the North American crown.
Bute turns 37 Tuesday, is expecting his first child, he revealed Friday, and by all accounts is financially set. As Friday turned into Saturday, he was loath to address retirement. But it might be a moot point. Alvarez and boxing might have just retired Bute.
“I’m not sure. I want to continue, but who knows after a month or two of rest? I’d like to box again in my future,” Bute said. “I can’t say I’m retiring. I have the taste to continue.”
If he does, Bute almost certainly will return to 168 pounds, having displayed a lack of power when moving up a weight class. Light heavyweights still possess speed, but are decidedly stronger than super middleweights. Alvarez probably weighed between 192 and 194 when he climbed through the ropes.
Still, Bute was holding his own until getting blindsided by the first right hand. Of course, a younger Bute might have seen the punch coming or wouldn’t have been so close to Alvarez. But that can merely be food for thought at this juncture.
“He was winning the fight ... and he just got caught with a very good right hand,” said Howard Grant, Bute’s trainer. “That’s boxing. If the fight would have went on two more rounds, who knows?”
Yvon Michel, who promotes both Bute and Alvarez, said he’ll support Bute, no matter what his decision. But it’s the fighter who calls the shot before the promoter offers his sentiments.
“He has nothing to be ashamed of. It was a great career. But I don’t want to speculate,” said Michel, who called the Romanian native Canada’s most-popular boxer. “Nobody will deny the great career that Lucian had. Nobody will deny that he has a huge impact in the industry of boxing in Quebec.
“It’s done. We’ll see what happens.”
Alvarez, meanwhile, delivered the mail. He already was the mandatory challenger for Adonis Stevenson, the WBC champ, and had little to prove, but everything to lose. Not only did Alvarez win, he brought people out of their seats by dismantling Bute at the end. He finally produced the wow factor with his speed, precision and killer instinct.
His next fight will be against Stevenson, Michel vowed. Stevenson, who boxes infrequently, defends his title April 29 in Uniondale, N.Y., although his opponent hasn’t yet been identified. Stevenson, who’s promoted by Michel, must then meet Alvarez. Should Stevenson lose his title, the winner will face Alvarez no later than September. We’ll see.
“Champions raise themselves when it’s important. Everything was in place for (Alvarez) and he raised the bar,” Michel said. “He raised himself up to the challenge.
“I was told (by the WBC) Eleider had to perform in a spectacular fashion for that fight to be a good bargaining power on his side; for that fight to be wanted. The way Eleider fought tonight, he would have beaten everybody but maybe a few guys. I was hoping for a performance like that.”
I’m not sure. I want to continue, but who knows after a month or two of rest? I’d like to box again in my future. I can’t say I’m retiring.