By John K. Way: This weekend super middleweights Lucien Bute of Canada and Brian Magee of the United Kingdom will square off for Bute’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) title. The fight matches two skilled southpaws in a fight that promises to be a pleasing, fast-paced, competitive encounter, if not a fight of the year brawl. In something of a crossroads fight, a win is vitally important for both fighters: for Bute it represents another successful title defense in the next step towards the winner of the Super Six Tournament, more Magee it represents a first world title and the realization of his outstanding potential. With that in mind, how with Bute vs. Magee unfold.
A transplanted Romanian living in Quebec, Bute began his professional boxing career after a stellar amateur career, and from the beginning he was managed expertly. As he was groomed for a title shot he was matched against opponents of a variety of styles and as the quality of his opponents increased so too did the quality of his performances. Along the way Bute beat a number of quality contenders including Digaan Thoebla, Kabary Saleem, James Obede Toney, and Sakio Bika. In October of 2007 he stopped champion Alejandro Berrio in the 11th round, and his mission to win a world title was complete in only four year.
After tallying a perfunctory defense against faded former title holder William Joppy Bute faced his top contender, Librado Andrade, his toughest test to date. Using his blistering hand speed to score with rapid-fire combination and his educated foot movement to avoid retaliation Bute jumped out to an apparently insurmountable lead, winning 10 of the first eleven rounds. Knowing he needed a knockout Andrade caught Bute coasting in the final stanza rocking the young champion badly. Out on his feet Bute struggled to run and clinch until a thunderous right hand of Andrade sent him down in a neutral corner immediately before the bell to end the fight. Though Bute couldn’t be saved by the bell, he was rescued by hometown officiating.
Referee Marlon Wright made an extremely controversial call by delaying the commencement of the count yelling that Andrade, who was standing well across the ring had to stand in the furthest neutral corner. Deafened by the crowd Andrade didn’t immediately comply and Bute was afforded a substantial rest period before Wright began his count. Still badly dazed the champion showed tremendous heart in reaching his feet and even after the controversy regarding the count, the unanimous decision he was awarded was well deserved. After an easy knockout win over contender Fulgencio Zuniga, Bute granted Andrade a rematch. Andrade had since scored an impressive win over highly ranked contender Vitali Tsypko, and after Bute’s brush with defeat in the previous fight, HBO billed the rematch as a 50-50 affair.
Instead Bute rendered this scorecards moot in this fight, digging a vicious left hook to Andrade’s chin, dropping him hard. After the Mexican warrior rose and continued to charge forward, Bute evaded the attacks calmly before stepping back and slinging another wicked left hook, this one to Andrade’s solar plexus. This Andrade was down for the count, and Bute was again on his way to boxing stardom. Since then Bute has had two more impressive outing. In April of 2010 he effectively ended the career of Edison Miranda, one of the hardest punchers, pound for pound of the last decade with a single punch in the 3rd round. Most recently, last October he met Jesse Brinkley and veteran made famous by his outstanding performance on the Contender TV series. Enjoying something of a career Indian Summer Brinkely was riding a nine fight winning streak. However the plucky underdog was badly outgunned, counted out in the 9th round, again courtesy of a single left hand punch.
Brian Magee possesses much of the same natural talent as Lucien Bute and has no shortcoming in work ethic, but for various reasons has failed to achieve nearly the same success. After jumping out to 22 consecutive wins out of the box, Magee’s undefeated streak was snapped by crafty English veteran Robin Reid, who used his experience and durability to sneak home with a close unanimous decision. After an easy tune-up fight Magee lost for a second time, to the inexperienced Vitali Tsypko, this time on a split decision that many thought belonged to Magee. Still trying to press forward and rekindle his competitive fire he won to more fight by quick knockout before signing to fight rising British contender Carl “The Cobra” Froch.
The brash Froch possessed brutal punching power but Magee believed his superior skill could exploit his rival’s crude form, and for much of the fight it seemed that could be the case. With the fight virtually even going into the 11 round Magee seemed to have the fight in his grasp him he could steal the final two rounds with his clever boxing. Instead he was caught by a Froch uppercut that he never saw coming, which separated him from his senses and the hopes of career redemption. Adding to the bitter taste of the heartbreaking defeat, Magee watched as Froch ascended to the boxing elite, getting the high profile matches against Jean Pascal and Jermain Taylor that he craved. Magee must have wondered in his quiet moments of reflection whether he would be in Froch’s place as world champion and semi-finalist in the super six tournament if he had managed to box his absolute best during the last two rounds against Froch.
Since the crushing knockout to Froch in 2006, Magee has quietly rebounded with a methodical comeback that has featured nine wins in 10 fights (one draw). After a hiatus in 2009 Magee exploded on the world scene again, winning the European super middleweight title by knocking all of the rivets out of Mads Larsen on the Dane’s home turf, winning by technical knockout in the seventh round. Supporters of the 35 year old assert that the win over Larsen is proof positive that Magee has finally bloomed as a fighter, with the right combination of skill and experience to be a world class threat. So how would be fight turn out between Bute and Magee?
Bute’s superior record against world class opposition, along with his career momentum, and apparently superior athletic gifts have made him a major favorite in the lead up to the contest. Moreover Bute possesses the advantage of youth, age 31 to Magee, 35. However Magee possesses the intangible strength that most successful underdogs possess: an intrinsic desire to prove false the charges of the critics and render null previous career failures. Having come up short to a more experienced foe in Reid, having lost by looking past Tsypko, and losing to brute strength and a lapse in concentration, Magee has learned the harsh lessons of boxing in unforgiving defeat. While these defeats underscored certain flaws they all indicate his strengths as he was competitive in each loss, with all three bouts within his grasp. Reversing each defeat requires a certain suspension of disbelief, but if one does so, Magee would be undefeated and in a similar position to Bute.
What Each Fighter Must Do to Win:
Bute- To net another title defense in this fight, Bute must be careful that he isn’t looking past Magee towards bigger fights on the horizon, bringing a complete game plan that integrates all of his different talent. He should use his superior mobility to keep Magee off balance, scoring with quick shots in twos and threes before moving out of range, as in the Andrade fight. He should also use his advantage as a southpaw to his advantage as well, using short, compact left hands to blunt Magee’s attempts to get inside. Magee is 35 years old, and if Bute invests in body punches early he may well be able to wear the Briton down, though a sudden, one punch kayo shot isn’t out of the question either.
Magee-If Bryon Magee is to net the 6-1 upset in this bout, he absolutely must force Bute out of his comfort, making a big impression early to get the confident champion’s attention. Though Magee isn’t nearly as prolific a body puncher as Bute, he must go to the Canadian’s midsection early and often, to try to slow his rapid in and out movement and to lay the foundations for a late round surge. Magee possesses underrated power in his right mitt, and right hand punches are crucial for the orthodox fighter to beat a southpaw. Against a fighter of Bute’s precision though it is very imprudent to throw any punches too wide, to Magee will have to dispense with the looping overhand variety he often throw, shortening up his punches to avoid Bute’s retaliatory shots. Ultimately Magee must box a more disciplined, assertive fight than he has ever fought in the past, fighting up to his maximum abilities in every round to pull home the win of a lifetime.
What Awaits the Winner of Bute vs. Magee?
For either fighter a victory should mean bigger, better fights for the future. Magee would likely face Bute in a rematch, and if he won a rematch as well, he would probably be best advised to sit on his hands until a fight with the winner of the super six tournament became available. If Bute wins, and especially if he wins without difficulty, then his path forward becomes more difficult to predict. His managers have suggested that a fight against undefeated but unproven contender Jean Paul Mendy may be in works for the summer but fans with likely, and rightly protest such a mismatch. Instead boxing fan will probably hope for a higher profile fight against former Super Six Contestant and world champion Mikkel Kessler of Denmark.
Kessler who left the Super Six for medical reasons after beating Carl Froch has made overtures that his is now fit again and eager to get in the ring with Bute. If he is healthy again Kessler could spell serious problems for Bute, and for the first time in his career Bute would be in with a truly elite. If an agreement can’t be reached for a Kessler bout then Bute may look to the winner of the Robert Stiglietz vs. Dimitri Sartison fight in April. Stiglietz is clearly the second best super middleweight not tied up with the Super Six, behind Bute, and though a Bute-Stiglietz match hasn’t yet come off, the potential money to be earned could pursued the fighters to meet. Meanwhile, Sartison has repeatedly expressed his interest in facing Bute, and should he pull off the upset the fight vs. Bute looks likely to happen.