Lucian Bute to face Jesse Brinkley on October 15
by Scott Christ on Jul 8, 2010 11:35 PM EDT
in Boxing News Analysis
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Lucian Bute will defend his IBF super middleweight belt against Jesse Brinkley on October 15. The fight was officially announced earlier today by Interbox, Bute's promoter. The two will meet at the Bell Centre in Montreal, where Bute has become a major star.
Brinkley (35-5, 22 KO) is a tough veteran from Nevada who will be getting his first shot at a major title at the age of 33. Without question, he will be a heavy underdog against Bute (26-0, 21 KO), and the fight is sure to meet a few criticisms because on paper, it's not terribly competitive, which is becoming something of a norm for Bute, no matter what you think of his talents (and I, personally, think plenty of his talents).
But with the division's best fighters (except Bute) locked up in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, and Kelly Pavlik not being prepared right now to face someone as good as Bute as he prepares to move up in weight, Brinkley was about as good as it was going to get. He's earned the fight, with wins over Joey Gilbert, Mike Paschall and Curtis Stevens in his last three bouts. Sure, none of those guys are the cream of the crop, but they're solid wins. Brinkley was set to face Sakio Bika in a final eliminator to face Bute, but that, like most Bika fights, fell through. Bika is currently scheduled to face Jean-Paul Mendy on July 31.
Brinkley, who may not be the most awe-inspiring boxer you'll see but has plenty of guts, is anxious for the opportunity.
"I am beyond excited to fight Lucian Bute for his IBF super middleweight championship. This is something I have dreamed about my whole life, and I feel that it is long over due. I know I’m going in as the underdog, but there is no doubt in my mind that I’m bringing that belt back with me to the United States."
Bute says he won't overlook Brinkley.
"At this level it is very dangerous to take any opponent lightly. Brinkley surprised many experts during his last bout. He fights very bravely in the ring and I expect him to be fully prepared and to give it his all in the Bell Centre ring."
My feeling, like will be the feeling of everyone who isn't Jesse Brinkley, is that Bute is just far too good for Jesse and will probably stop him in the middle rounds. Bute is currently a wrecking machine, and while I could and in fact will lightly criticize his resume -- with the asterisk on the criticism being, again, that he can't currently get much better -- Brinkley compares favorably (for Bute) to guys like Librado Andrade, Edison Miranda, etc.
The fight is scheduled for a Friday night, so unless ESPN2 picks it up (which I'm guessing they'd love to, and after a really weak FNF season so far, the money is probably there), don't expect American TV.
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At least Bute is taking on someone top 10
It could be a lot worse.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
I'm pretty sure it will get picked up by ESPN
There were rumors of another Andrade fight on the undercard. At this point, when his deal is done, I’d be surprised if Andrade doesn’t sign with Interbox. He’s built up a fan base in Montreal.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Also
They’re trying to get Kelly Pavlik to fight on the undercard, in which case it would definitely get picked up SOMEWHERE.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
That's interesting
It appears that they are building towards Bute – Pavlik, which will be the end of Pavlik’s career at the top.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jul 9, 2010 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Now that woudl be sweet!
What action and displays of heart could be produced from such a matchup!
I reckon Pavlik could beat Froch, for what its worth.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jul 9, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Those three are the sort of guys Pav should be looking at i think.
Tough guys who come to fight are right up his street.Not so much cutey,slick types.
Surely he’s had enough of them!
His only chance
Against someone like Ward or Dirrel, would be to catch them with the perfect punch, or have them gas. Both seem rather unlikely to me.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jul 9, 2010 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Bute TKO-4
I don’t see Brinkley lasting longer than Miranda, and Miranda only got to the 4th, didn’t he?
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
It's going to take a massive chin
And excellent skills, used well, to beat Bute. This guy doesn’t fir the bill. I agree with KO 4!
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jul 9, 2010 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
TKO 7, I'd go for...
Brinkley’s better than being a complete scrub, and should at least get to the middle rounds.
I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘’Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'’ (Bernard Hopkins)
I don't think you have to be a complete scrub
to get blasted out of there early by the monster that is Lucian Bute…. :)
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
ESPN is where the fight belongs.
At most, part of an After Dark double header paired with a superior match-up.
Bute might be in a tough spot, the other top SMW’s are fighting one another while he is pretty much passing time. Tough competition molds a lot of fighters: Bute is missing it right now.
That's a good point
I hadn’t considered the improvements the tournament will bring to the fighters in it, despite how obvious it now seems.
For example, say Ward wins the tournament and goes on to fight Bute; he will have excellent experience against various top 5 guys, and will proabably have trained harder due to the higher level of challenge involved in his fights.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jul 9, 2010 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I know he’s already said he’s going to fight Bika (I assume he’ll beat Mendy, just because I’ve never heard of Mendy) after Brinkley, but if all the favorites win in Round 3 of the Super Six, Dirrell and Green will be available too. Bika’s probably better than Green, but I’d be very interested to see a Bute-Dirrell fight.
Mendy was alright, but he's past prime
Natural boxer. Never really trained that seriously, never got a lot of big fights. Good amateur career, but turned pro really late. He fought in the Shobox super middleweight tournament that was set up for Anthony Hanshaw to win, and he got to the finals and drew with Hanshaw, probably deserving the win. It was such a big fight that his trainer didn’t even show up to it and he fought in the corner with a cutman and that’s about it. Southpaw with some skills, but he’s probably past prime now, and he’s not the world’s greatest strategist.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
A fight with Dirrel would be great
Two very talented and smart guys, battling off for what would essentailly become a shot at the eventual super six winner.
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Jul 9, 2010 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Terrible fight, Kind of hard to knock Bute cuz with the tournament in progress the big fights he wants ain’t happening. But he should done better than the Joey Spina victim, Brinkley
If a man ain't found something worth dying for. He ain't fit to live.
Brinkley is his mandatory
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
And I hate to say it
But who’s available and better other than Bika (who he already spanked once before), even if the IBF wasn’t making him fight Brinkley? Stieglitz turned down a million dollar offer to unify. Hopkins and Bute couldn’t come to an agreement, but they tried. The other top 5 in the class are tied up in the Super Six, and he’s already beaten two of the other guys at the bottom of the top 10. If Jermain Taylor ever comes back, I doubt his first fight back would be something this tough. Considering his recent streak of wins, together with a general lack of depth in the weight class right now, I actually have Brinkley in my top 10 (barely).
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
He’s in my top ten by a hair, too. It’s mostly that the division is six guys, five of them in the Super Six and Bute, before it falls off big into your Andrades and Stieglitzes.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
And IMO
There’s a pretty decent drop from Andrade, Stieglitz, Bika, Green and Brinkley into the next category as well.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Agreed. I’d throw Sartison in with those guys, and then you’re getting into Brian Vera and all those guys Bute dealt with already (Zuniga, Miranda, and so on).
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
I have Andrade well above the rest of those guys.
I see the guys you’ve named like this (in groups, not necessarily in order of fighter within group):
Ward
Kessler
Bute
Dirrell
Froch
Andrade
Abraham
Green
Bika
Stieglitz
Brinkley
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
Yeah I know it’s his mandatory. Like I said it’s hard to knock Bute. But I rather see him maybe give some youngster coming up like Peter Quillin or Don George a chance. I don’t see them winning. But I think there better options than Brinkley. If it comes down to it than just give up the title. I’m sure Bute can sell out in Canada without the IBF belt
If a man ain't found something worth dying for. He ain't fit to live.
by Violent Demise on Jul 9, 2010 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I doubt George is ever world class
He’s fun, but he’s not good. And he’s never fought in more than an 8 rounder, so he’s just not ready. The two prospects closest to being ready for a title shot are both South African (Ooesthuezen or whatever his name is and Isaac Chilemba, who I have in my top 15 now), which would make that difficult (plus they appear to be fighting each other anyway). Quillin I guess would be fine, but the guys who I think are better overall prospects, like Henry Crawford, James DeGale and George Groves, are still a ways away from being able to go 12 rounds.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I don’t think much of George either, But I rather see him than Brinkley. There both mediocre fighters. But George can at least sell his undefeated record before he gets smashed. He’s also in his prime. Sadly for him he ain’t that good. So his prime will come and go before he even knows it. Brinkley is past his prime. He himself wasn’t that good in his either. If it wasn’t for the contender he would be as obscure Scott Sigmon. Bute beating Brinkley just sounds like it was a mismatch.
Now that I think about it. I know exactly who Bute should face. The perfect opponent right now. It’s a fight he would win with little problems. And it would send a message to at least one of the super 6. Bute needs to beat on Anthony Dirrell.
If a man ain't found something worth dying for. He ain't fit to live.
by Violent Demise on Jul 9, 2010 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Groves is the next really big thing, in my eyes.
Groves bashes DeGale all over the place right now, and in fact this time next year I’d back him against all but my top nine mentioned above. I predict he’ll be at the very top (top 3) of the division within three years. I’ve seen him live a couple of times, and he always has so much time, and is so composed, yet there is also such ferocity. He hits hard, makes few mistakes, and is quick as hell too. It’s safe to say I’m a fan… :)
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
The title is bargaining power. Whether we care or not, the fighters do, and the belt is another piece of the pie when Bute comes to the negotiating table.
Quillin and George haven’t even beaten someone as good as Brinkley yet. I guess George is fighting Curtis Stevens in a few weeks though.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
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