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IBF super middleweight titlist Carl Froch will be back in the ring this November, with all reports still saying that he's working on securing a rematch with Mikkel Kessler, and then will defend the title against Lucian Bute in Montreal in March of next year.
Froch won the belt from Bute on May 26 in Nottingham, England, demolishing the Romanian-Canadian in five rounds. Bute has sat and thought about the fight, and has decided he does want the rematch, and the sides have agreed to push it back and allow for fights in the interim. Bute may look to put together a bounce-back fight this fall, and he definitely needs one.
If both win potential upcoming bouts, they'll do it again, but I'd seriously not bet the farm on Bute right now. He's a good fighter, I believe, and still has plenty he can do in the sport. He can win more world titles. But that loss was the type of loss that can really damage a fighter mentally, and until he proves that it hasn't beaten him down, that's going to be an open question.
Froch (29-2, 21 KO) wants to rematch Kessler to avenge one of his two losses, but there is some question about getting that done, because there's a lot of money at stake for that fight between the UK and Denmark, not to mention US TV probably wanting that somewhere. Their first fight was fantastic, and the rematch makes all the sense in the world right now, but boxing being what it is, who knows? If it doesn't get done, figure on Froch to find some other top fighter to face, since the guy basically refuses to take "tune-ups" or easy fights.