Bad Left Hook - Bute vs Pascal: Live streaming updates, round-by-round coverage, results and moreGlobal Boxing News and Commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47131/backingthepack-fave.png2014-01-19T00:42:26-05:00http://www.badlefthook.com/rss/stream/50692472014-01-19T00:42:26-05:002014-01-19T00:42:26-05:00Pascal cruises past Bute
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<figcaption>Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Jean Pascal was too good for Lucian Bute tonight, or maybe it was that Lucian Bute just isn't the same anymore. Either way, Pascal cruised past Bute in front of a packed house in Montreal.</p> <p>Jean Pascal got back on the big stage tonight at the Centre Bell in Montreal, beating crowd favorite Lucian Bute over 12 rounds by clear unanimous decision on scores of 117-110, 116-112, and 117-111.</p>
<p>Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KO) looked the more confident and comfortable fighter throughout the night, at times mimicking his "idol" Roy Jones Jr, who was working Pascal's corner and helped him in camp for the bout. He was able to beat up Bute (31-2, 24 KO) to the body early on, and whenever he rushed the Romanian-Canadian with a flurry of shots, he mixed it up well, and also found that Bute just wasn't able to do much more than freeze up. Even reactions to protect himself seemed delayed, let alone throwing back in counter.</p>
<p>Bute, who turns 34 next month, looked better tonight than he did against Carl Froch in 2012, at least in terms of going the distance. But part of that was simply a more tentative approach than he had that night in England, and the fact that Pascal, 31, is also notable for not keeping up his activity rate as much as Froch did in that fight.</p>
<p>Would Bute have survived a full 12 rounds against a more aggressive opponent tonight? Perhaps not. He did have brief flashes of looking like his old self, but that's all they were. The most telling stat of the night may have been the fact that Pascal, not a noted body puncher, completely outworked and outlanded Bute to the body. Bute, when he was rising up the super middleweight ranks, was noted for a murderous left hand to the body that dropped and stopped a lot of opponents.</p>
<p>What Bute once did well was largely gone tonight, much as it was in his last fight in late 2012 against Denis Grachev. Maybe Carl Froch ruined Bute, or maybe Bute was just never as good as the hype and handling led us to believe. But either way, tonight was Pascal's night, and he's got himself in the mix for a big fight at 175 pounds.</p>
<p>"It means a lot. I've been working really hard for this. It's been five years, seven years I've been chasing Bute to show people I'm the best in town. Today I proved it," Pascal told HBO's Max Kellerman.</p>
<p>"It's all about the rematch, to make the fight a bit closer. I knew I was winning the fight." Asked by Kellerman if he was joking, Pascal said, "This is boxing, this is war. I love to play, I love to get punches, I love to throw back. This is the sport of boxing, baby."</p>
<p>"I'm disappointed in my performance tonight. I prepared well, I trained well. For some reason things didn't go as I planned. I'm really disappointed," Bute told Kellerman through an interpreter.</p>
<p>When asked if he wanted a rematch -- seemingly based entirely on the mildly interesting 12th round -- Bute said he did, again through an interpreter: "Yes, I want a rematch. I know, I'm convinced that my punches can land way more than they did tonight. I do want the rematch."</p>
<p>It was a lot of hype for a rematch that is, quite frankly, completely unnecessary at this point in time. It's hard to imagine even the loyal Montreal fans coming back in numbers like tonight's announced attendance of 20,749, given that they didn't see a particularly exciting or competitive bout.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/19/5323900/bute-vs-pascal-results-jean-pascal-wins-battle-of-montreal-by-clearScott Christ2014-01-18T23:20:06-05:002014-01-18T23:20:06-05:00Perez and Takam go to draw on HBO
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<p>Mike Perez didn't look himself over the second half of tonight's fight with Carlos Takam, but escaped with a fortunate draw in Montreal.</p> <p>Cuban heavyweight Mike Perez had a big debut on HBO a couple of months back when he beat Magomed Abdusalamov in a heavyweight rumble of epic proportions, but tonight in Montreal, he didn't look himself, and was lucky to escape with a draw against underdog veteran Carlos Takam.</p>
<p>One has to wonder whether or not Perez (20-0-1, 12 KO) has shaken the mental effects of his fight with Abdusalamov, who wound up in a medically-induced coma that ended his career after that bout. And perhaps overlooked because of that is the physical damage that Perez also took in that fight -- he absorbed plenty of shots that night himself, and a two-month turnaround may have simply been too soon.</p>
<p>Takam (29-1-1, 23 KO) really took over starting in round six, as he planted his feet inside and was able to work Perez over. The Cuban's arms got heavier and heavier as the fight went on, and he didn't seem to have his usual snap or speed tonight. Takam didn't have a special performance or anything, but he saw an opening and took it.</p>
<p>BLH had the fight 97-93 for Takam, giving him rounds six through ten after a 3-2 start in Perez's favor. Official scores were 96-94 (Michael Buffer did not announce who got that card) and 95-95 two times for the majority draw.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/18/5323794/bute-vs-pascal-results-mike-perez-and-carlos-takam-go-to-debatableScott Christ2014-01-18T14:01:56-05:002014-01-18T14:01:56-05:00Bute-Pascal: Live updates and discussion
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<p>Tonight at 10:15 pm EST on HBO, Lucian Bute faces Jean Pascal in the main event from Montreal for Canadian boxing bragging rights. BLH will be here with live coverage.</p> <p>It's been called the Super Bowl of Canadian boxing, the Mayweather-Pacquiao of Canadian boxing, and simply the biggest fight in Canadian boxing history. Tonight at 10:15 pm EST from the Bell Centre in Montreal, live on HBO, Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal will go head-to-head in the main event, a light heavyweight bout scheduled for 12 rounds. In the co-feature, heavyweights Mike Perez will face Carlos Takam.</p>
<p>Bute (31-1, 24 KO) hasn't fought since late 2012, though Pascal (28-2-1, 17 KO) has also been inactive, as he's fought just a pair of easy tune-up bouts since May 2011. Who will be in better shape physically and mentally? Have either of them truly recovered from their last defeats?</p>
<p>Perez (20-0, 12 KO) is coming off of a win in November over Magomed Abdusalamov, while Takam (29-1, 23 KO) hasn't lost since 2009, not that he's fought many real opponents.</p>
<p>BLH will be here starting at 10:15 with live coverage of both fights. Join us!</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/18/5322402/bute-vs-pascal-live-streaming-updates-and-round-by-round-coverageScott Christ2014-01-17T18:54:47-05:002014-01-17T18:54:47-05:00Bute-Pascal: Staff picks and predictions
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<p>Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal meet tomorrow night at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Who will emerge the winner in the biggest fight in Canadian boxing history?</p> <h2>Ryan Bivins</h2>
<p>Bute will win the fight off consistency and fundamentals while Pascal will settle for shining in spots and delude himself into believing that he did enough to win. But who knows, maybe he'll deceive the judges as well. Go to 23:07 in the <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/badcultureradio/2014/01/15/the-ruckus" target="_blank">Jan. 14th episode of "The Ruckus"</a> for a longer explanation of why I'm picking Bute. <b>Bute by decision</b>.</p>
<h2>Scott Christ</h2>
<p>I've got no idea what to expect of either of these guys in this fight. Bute's been off 14 months and didn't look good against Denis Grachev, a much slower and more basic fighter than Pascal. Also, there are still concerns about how Bute can handle pressure, given the way Carl Froch beat the snot out of him in May 2012. But what about Pascal? He's done nothing but beat Aleksy Kuziemski (while injuring his own shoulder) and George Blades since his May 2011 loss to Bernard Hopkins. Pascal is explosive every fight out, but only briefly so. Despite his ripped appearance, his conditioning is questionable and his activity drops as the fight goes on. If they're both in good shape and really ready to go, this fight could be action-packed -- and short. Pascal could blast out Bute early, or one of Bute's trademark nasty body shots could find a home and put this away. I don't know what's happening here, but it should (or at least could) be fun. I'm going with Pascal -- I worry more about Bute's mental state than Pascal's physical state, although perhaps I shouldn't. I'm looking forward to this one. <b>Pascal TKO-7</b>.</p>
<h2>Matt Miller</h2>
<p>While at first blush this looked to me like a tough call, after thinking about it I like Bute in this one. Both men have lost to Froch, and while Bute's loss was worse and more recent, Pascal is coming off of a recent loss himself to Hopkins, and in general his record isn't as impressive. Bute has better scalps under his belt, including Sakio Bika. There's no doubt he has the better resume. There has been some talk recently among fans to the effect that Bute was a hype job, exposed by Froch (and to a lesser extent Grachev), but his record is credible.</p>
<p>The better reason to doubt Bute is the question of whether or not he is damaged goods or over the hill (at 33). I don't think he is--not hugely so anyway. He's rounding the bend, but I didn't have the same harsh takeaway others did from his last fight. Yes, I know he struggled a bit against Grachev, but he was coming back from a tough loss, and Grachev is a decent fighter. It was a respectable come back given how tough the Froch fight was for him.</p>
<p>In sum, I think Bute will prove more resilient in Quebec, and the vintage body punching version of himself is more likely to resurface than Pascal's best version of himself. Another factor is that I think the venue favors Bute. He's about as much of a hometown fighter you can get, and he's going to defend his turf here. Yes, this is basically home turf for both men, but I have a feeling Bute is more of a hometown fighter than Pascal and a significant part of why he looked so bad against Froch is because the fight took place across the pond in a different time zone and in his opponent's back yard. Beatdown at the Bell Center? Probably not. Probably more like <b>Bute in a close but clear UD</b>.</p>
<h2>Dave Oakes</h2>
<p>I've been looking forward to this fight ever since it was first mooted many years ago. I feel their styles will blend perfectly to create a great fight with plenty of action. It remains to be seen whether Bute is the same fighter after his mauling by Carl Froch 18 months ago, there's a chance he may have become gun-shy, there certainly seemed to be a hint of that in his struggle to beat Denis Grachev in his last fight.</p>
<p>Pascal is the more established light-heavyweight but has show weaknesses throughout his career, most notably stamina issues and the lack of a plan B. It doesn't take a genius to work out Pascal's approach to this fight (and pretty much every other fight he's had), he'll start quickly, will be the aggressor and will look to land flurries of punches.</p>
<p>Bute's best chance is to keep the fight at long range and to out-box and out manoeuvre Pascal. Bernard Hopkins showed the perfect tactics needed to beat Pascal, alas, Bute is no Hopkins. It's worth noting that Bute is a very good body puncher, and if I remember correctly, Pascal was troubled to the body late on in his fight with Froch. Pascal has a solid chin, so regular body attacks should be part of Bute's game plan, not only is that his best chance of hurting Pascal, it'll also come in handy if the fight goes long - energy sapping body shots combined with Pascal's lack of stamina could prove decisive in the later rounds.</p>
<p>There looks to be three obvious outcomes to this fight - 1) Pascal blasts out Bute in a similar fashion to Froch. 2) Pascal starts fast and wins enough rounds to enable him to hang on to a narrow points victory after tiring late. 3) Bute keeps it close enough early on so that he can take advantage of a tiring Pascal in the later rounds.</p>
<p>Option 2 looks the most likely to me, there'll be plenty of action along the way and maybe a twist or two but Pascal should be able to do enough to win on points around 115-113 mark. <b>Pascal by decision</b>.</p>
<h2>Final Tally: Lucian Bute 2, Jean Pascal 2.</h2>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/17/5320514/bute-vs-pascal-preview-staff-picks-and-predictionsBad Left Hook2014-01-17T16:48:17-05:002014-01-17T16:48:17-05:00Bute, Pascal make weight for Saturday
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<p>The main event fighters are ready to go for tomorrow night on HBO, as Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal made weight this afternoon in Montreal.</p> <p>Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal are ready to go for tomorrow night's HBO main event in what is being hyped as the "<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> of Canadian boxing," as the two adopted sons of Montreal headline at the Bell Centre in front of what should be a packed house and a rowdy audience.</p>
<p>Bute weighed in at 173.6 for the 175-pound main event, with Pascal hitting the limit on the nose. Bute (31-1, 24 KO) is fighting for the first time since November 2012, but Pascal (28-2-1, 17 KO) has fought only a pair of very easy tune-up bouts since May 2011, so there are rust concerns on both sides.</p>
<p>In the heavyweight co-feature, unbeaten Mike Perez (20-0, 12 KO) returns to HBO to face veteran Carlos Takam (29-1, 23 KO) in a fight scheduled for 10 rounds. Perez, one of the "Irish Cubans," is coming off of a win over Magomed Abdusalamov in November, while Takam, a Cameroonian living and fighting out of France, has recent wins over Frans Botha and <span>Michael Grant</span>, as apparently he's been revisiting the 90s.</p>
<p>Perez weighed in at 231.2 pounds, with Takam at 256.2.<span> </span></p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/17/5320238/bute-vs-pascal-fighters-make-weight-for-saturday-nights-hbo-main-eventScott Christ2014-01-16T15:17:10-05:002014-01-16T15:17:10-05:00Presser: Bute vs Pascal
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<p>Lucian Bute meets Jean Pascal this Saturday in Montreal, and the two got together on Wednesday for a final press conference.</p> <blockquote>
<p><strong>Lucian Bute</strong></p>
<p>"I'm very confident. Very strong. I know Saturday night there's just one winner: Lucian Bute."</p>
<p><strong>Jean Pascal</strong></p>
<p>"I hope he's well-prepared because I'm well-prepared. We're gonna do a great fight if he fights. We're doing this for you guys."</p>
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<p>Bute vs Pascal will be live on HBO this Saturday night at 10:15 pm EST from the Bell Center in Montreal, paired with a heavyweight fight between Mike Perez and Carlos Takam.</p>
<p>BLH will have live coverage on Saturday night for both fights, with preview pieces tomorrow and staff picks in the evening as well.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/16/5316290/bute-vs-pascal-video-highlights-from-final-press-conferenceScott Christ2014-01-14T11:57:51-05:002014-01-14T11:57:51-05:00Bute: Nothing can stop me, I'm very confident
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<figcaption>Scott Heavey</figcaption>
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<p>Lucian Bute had bone fragments removed from his left hand last year, postponing his fight with Jean Pascal. But the Romanian-Canadian says he's ready to go for Saturday.</p> <p>Former super middleweight tilist Lucian Bute has suffered some recent career setbacks, but the Quebec-based star says he's fit and ready to go for Saturday night's HBO showdown with Jean Pascal, in what looks to be the biggest fight in Canadian boxing history.</p>
<p>Two years ago, Bute (31-1, 24 KO) was mauled and stopped in five rounds by Carl Froch, and a little over five months later, he returned with a somewhat shaky win over Denis Grachev, a good but limited fighter. That was November 2012, and it was the last time Bute fought.</p>
<p>Last year, he had bone fragments removed from his left hand. Now, <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Nothing+stop+Bute+says+Bell+Centre+battle+with+Pascal/9383176/story.html" target="_blank">the southpaw says he's feeling good</a>.</p>
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<p>"I feel good. I feel great. Saturday night will be a special night for me, a special fight. (The loss to Froch is) in the past. I feel great, 100 per cent with both hands. I'm staying focused for my fight, my strategy. There's nothing to stop me. Nothing! I'm very confident. I'm very strong. I'll be the winner."</p>
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<p>It's sort of a matchup of unknowns between the two established veterans. Bute hasn't fought in 14 months and was looking a bit weary then, while Pascal (28-2-1, 17 KO) has fought just a pair of tune-up bouts since his May 2011 loss to Bernard Hopkins, beating Aleksy Kuziemski and suffering a shoulder injury in the process in December 2012, and returning to have his way with George Blades last September.</p>
<p>Is Pascal 100%? Is Bute 100%? How far off of their best are these two fighters? Is Bute still affected by the loss to Froch, and is Pascal ready to put the pressure on fast and test his resolve? It's a big fight between two popular fighters in Montreal, but how <i>good</i> are these guys here in 2014? That's what we're going to find out for at least one of them.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/14/5307968/bute-vs-pascal-lucian-bute-says-hands-are-good-ready-for-saturdayScott Christ2014-01-13T15:13:42-05:002014-01-13T15:13:42-05:00Boxing TV schedule for Jan. 17-18
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<figcaption>Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Lucian Bute meets Jean Pascal in the first real marquee fight of 2014, and ShoBox is back on Friday night as well.</p> <h2>Friday, January 17</h2>
<p><a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3858267/Capture.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="Capture_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3858267/Capture_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1389642757787"></p>
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<p style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span><u>HBO / Indigo PPV (CAN)</u>, 10:00 pm EST, <b>Ivan Redkach vs Tony Luis, John Thompson vs Frank Galarza</b>. The first ShoBox of 2014 is a promising one, as Redkach-Luis has good action potential, and Thompson is an intriguing prospect as well. Hopefully we can get back to ShoBox being shows like this more often than Mayweather Promotions showcases for guys who honestly don't seem to have real upside. </span>BLH will have live coverage.</p>
<p style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><u>Direct TV (ARG)</u>, 10:00 pm EST, <b>Marcelino Nicolas Lopez vs TBA</b>.</p>
<p style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><u>TyC Sports (ARG)</u>, 10:00 pm EST, <b>Javier Maciel vs Adonisio Francisco Reges, Isidro Ranoni Prieto vs Fabio Garrido</b>.</p>
<h2>Saturday, January 18</h2>
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<p><u>HBO / Indigo PPV (CAN)</u>, 10:15 pm EST, <b>Lucian Bute vs Jean Pascal, Mike Perez vs Carlos Takam</b>. The first really major card of 2014 is finally here, as the likely biggest fight in Canadian boxing history is upon us. Pascal (28-2-1, 17 KO) fought in September against George Blades to stay in shape, as this fight was originally scheduled for May before Bute (31-1, 24 KO) postponed. Bute hasn't fought since November 2012 in an iffy win over Denis Grachev, six months after Carl Froch smoked him. The co-feature was originally going to be Eleider Alvarez vs Thomas Oosthuizen, but Oosthuizen pulled out to the surprise of few, and is now a heavyweight bout between Mike Perez and veteran Carlos Takam. <b>BLH will have live coverage.</b></p>
<p><u>TyC Sports (ARG)</u>, 10:00 pm EST, <b>Monica Silvina Acosta vs Ana Laura Esteche</b>.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/1/13/5304990/bute-vs-pascal-shobox-more-boxing-schedule-for-jan-17-18-2014Scott Christ