Lucian Bute’s popularity in Quebec has reached epic heights
In Showtime’s main event on Showbox at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, unbeaten IBF super middleweight champ Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute (28-0-0, 23 KOs) of Montreal, Canada by way of Pechea, Romania, had little problem disposing of Brian Magee (34-4-1, 24 KOs) from Belfast, Northern Ireland. After Magee suffered knock downs from body shots in both rounds six and seven, the end came at 2:04 of round ten when Bute landed a powerful uppercut.
It’s widely known that the 31-year-old champion and his handlers are looking forward to that huge payday against the winner of Showtime’s Super Six tournament which will likely be Andre Ward of Oakland, CA.
A Super Six participant and former world champion, Mikkel Kessler, assisted as a color commentator for Saturday’s show. Two questions were put to him about Bute. Would he like to face Bute and did he see any faults in Bute’s performance? The answer to both questions was, “Yes!”
Kessler didn’t come right out and say it, but Magee appeared to be Taylor-made for Bute’s boxing style. Bute’s superior reach, height and weight advantage was clear. I’m certain Kessler feels as a righty he could do a better job of exploiting Bute’s short comings, especially the dropping of the hands. His strategy would involve getting in closer to catch the big man with uppercuts and land the big overhand right.
Saturday’s undercard had many of the fighters we’ve seen locally
Great things are expected of Pier Olivier Cote of Quebec City.
Light welterweight Pier Olivier Cote of Quebec City, Canada (15-0-0, 10 KOs) took out Michael Lozada (37-8-1, 30 KOs) in round one of a scheduled eight rounder. You might be familiar with the name Lozada; he’s from our sister city, Tijuana, but now trains in Mexico City.
Super featherweight Viorel Simion (13-0-0, 5 KOs), also of Romania, won a split decision victory over Pedro Navarrette (26-11-3) from San Juan Zitlaltepec, México in an eight rounder. Navarette’s career has certainly gone south since he won the WBC Fecombox super featherweight title at El Foro in Tijuana. He’s now lost seven of his last 10 bouts.
Vanes Martirosyan (center) gets hugged by his support team after another win.
Another local boxer, middleweight Vanes Martirosyan (29-0-0) of Glendale, CA. by way of Abovyan, Armenia, ko’ed Bladimir Hernandez (18-5-0, 16 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico at 0:57 of round two of a scheduled eight rounder. Martirosyan has been featured twice at the Honda Center in Anaheim, twice at Staples Center and once at the Alameda Swap Meet.
Super featherweight Benoit Gaudet of Drummondville, Quebec, defeated Adrian Verdugo (17-4-1, 14 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico after a stoppage in round six of their eight rounder.
Bantamweight Jovanny Soto (31-10-1, 26 KOs) of Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico got knocked out in round two of a scheduled eight rounder by Sebastien Gauthier of Saint-Jerome, Quebec. Back on May 20, 2005, at El Foro in Tijuana, Soto had the same exact thing happen to him when Jesus Vazquez handed him his first lost.
Like so many other hotbeds of boxing, it appears the matchmakers of Quebec are getting sharper about who they bring to town to fight their local boxers.
