Lucian Bute: “My promoter had made an offer to Kessler to fight with me in November
Lucian Bute: “My promoter had made an offer to Kessler to fight with me in November, and Kessler refused the fight!”
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Last week’s 131st edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with reigning IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (28-0, 23 KOs) who is scheduled to face mandatory challenger Jean Paul Mendy (29-0-1, 16 KOs) tomorrow night in Romania. Bute spoke about his upcoming title defense, and also touched on a variety of other topics including the Super Six Boxing Classic, Manny Pacquiao, a potential fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins’s historic victory against Jean Pascal, Kelly Pavlik, Mikkel Kessler, and more! Here is what he had to say:
Regarding how he feels about his upcoming title defense against Jean Paul Mendy:
“I feel great. I trained very hard for this fight.”
On how it feels to be fighting again in Romania for the second time during his professional career:
“The first time I fought in Romania it was for a belt. The first fight for me in Romania was in 2005 in Galati, and now it’s in the capital Bucharest.”
His response to fans and detractors who criticize the competition he has been facing:
“You know Jean Paul Mendy is the mandatory fighter. After the mandatory I’m ready to fight anybody in this category at 168. I’m ready to fight!”
On whether he was disappointed that it does not appear he will be facing Mikkel Kessler next later this year:
“Yeah! You know my promoter had made an offer to Kessler to fight with me in November, and Kessler refused the fight.”
His views on the fact that Mikkel Kessler will likely be facing Robert Stieglitz next:
“I don’t know. Maybe Kessler thinks it’s an easier fight for him.”
His views on the Super Six super middleweight tournament:
“Well it’s a very interesting tournament. It has very good fighters inside the tournament with good experience. Now is the Final between Ward and Carl Froch. For me, I’m ready to fight the winner and I’m ready to fight all of the fighters who participated in this tournament. I’m the world champion in the IBF super middleweight and I’m ready to fight with everybody!”
Regarding who he believes will win the Super Six Final matchup between Andre Ward and Carl Froch:
“In my opinion, I think Ward wins this fight because Ward is more talented with more speed, and I think Andre Ward will win this fight and the tournament, too.”
On whether he would prefer to face Andre Ward instead of Carl Froch:
“No, I’m ready to fight Andre Ward or Carl Froch.”
On whether he ever considered making the move up to 175 pounds at light heavyweight:
“No, for the moment I will stay at 168. I feel great in this category. I don’t have a problem making weight, and I will stay here for one more or two years. I don’t know.”
On what he considers to be the best aspect of his game that he brings into the ring with him:
“I think I’m very strong for this category. I’m in good shape every time. My speed is a big key in my strategy.”
Regarding a potential fight between him and former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik:
“At this moment I’m very confident for my next fight against Jean Paul Mendy on July 9. It’s very important for me. It is a fight for the title and I’m very confident for this fight. After that I say I’m ready to fight everybody, maybe Kelly Pavlik. That’s no problem for me. He’s a very good fighter. Kelly Pavlik was a great champion and he is a good boxer. I’m ready for a fight with him.”
His views on Bernard Hopkins’ historic victory when he beat Jean Pascal to become the oldest boxer to win a major world championship:
“It was a very interesting fight. Congratulations for Hopkins. He’s 46 years old and it was a great, great, great performance in becoming the world champion. It was a great job for him and I have even more respect for him. He’s a great champion.”
His views on boxing’s biggest star Manny Pacquiao:
“Manny is a great fighter. He’s very serious and he trains very hard. He has more ability and he’s a very strong fighter. I have a lot of respect for him and like him as a fighter.”
On whether he believes a fight between many Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather might happen sometime next year and who he believes would win:
“In the last two years Mayweather doesn’t fight. It will be very difficult for him because he’s not active. Pacquiao is active! He fights two times a year I think and with this fight, everybody waits for this fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather. In my opinion I think Manny Pacquiao will win with Mayweather. I have a lot of respect for Mayweather. He’s a great champion and a very good fighter, but in my opinion Pacquiao would win this fight.”
Regarding what he feels will be his biggest asset going into his fight against Jean Paul Mendy:
“With Mendy, I have seen more fights with Mendy. He’s a good southpaw like me. He has a good left hook, a good left uppercut, and he’s a strong fighter. You know I’ve trained very hard. I’ve had good sparring and I feel great. I’ll wait until July 9 for this fight. My objective is to stay world champion.”
His official prediction for his July 9 fight against Jean Paul Mendy:
“As I said, my objective is to win this fight. It may be a decision, it may be before a decision. I don’t know, but it’s important for me to stay world champion.”
On whether he would be interested in having a fight with Bernard Hopkins given the fact Hopkins has previously stated Bute is on his radar:
“Of course, of course! I’m ready. For me it would be an honor to fight with Bernard Hopkins. He is a legend in boxing. Maybe within the next year we can have a great fight with Lucian Bute and Bernard Hopkins in Montreal or in the United States.”
Regarding what fans can expect from him for the rest of 2011:
“Well my next fight is July 9 in Romania. After that I’m supposed to fight in November.”
On what he would like to say to all of his fans and supporters:
“I want to say thank you to all of my fans in Canada and the United States and all of the world, and thank you very much for your support.”
Lucian Bute: “My promoter had made an offer to Kessler to fight with me in November, and Kessler refused the fight!”
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - Last week’s 131st edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio (brought to you by CWH Promotions) featured an exclusive interview with reigning IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (28-0, 23 KOs) who is scheduled to face mandatory challenger Jean Paul Mendy (29-0-1, 16 KOs) tomorrow night in Romania. Bute spoke about his upcoming title defense, and also touched on a variety of other topics including the Super Six Boxing Classic, Manny Pacquiao, a potential fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather, Bernard Hopkins’s historic victory against Jean Pascal, Kelly Pavlik, Mikkel Kessler, and more! Here is what he had to say:
Regarding how he feels about his upcoming title defense against Jean Paul Mendy:
“I feel great. I trained very hard for this fight.”
On how it feels to be fighting again in Romania for the second time during his professional career:
“The first time I fought in Romania it was for a belt. The first fight for me in Romania was in 2005 in Galati, and now it’s in the capital Bucharest.”
His response to fans and detractors who criticize the competition he has been facing:
“You know Jean Paul Mendy is the mandatory fighter. After the mandatory I’m ready to fight anybody in this category at 168. I’m ready to fight!”
On whether he was disappointed that it does not appear he will be facing Mikkel Kessler next later this year:
“Yeah! You know my promoter had made an offer to Kessler to fight with me in November, and Kessler refused the fight.”
His views on the fact that Mikkel Kessler will likely be facing Robert Stieglitz next:
“I don’t know. Maybe Kessler thinks it’s an easier fight for him.”
His views on the Super Six super middleweight tournament:
“Well it’s a very interesting tournament. It has very good fighters inside the tournament with good experience. Now is the Final between Ward and Carl Froch. For me, I’m ready to fight the winner and I’m ready to fight all of the fighters who participated in this tournament. I’m the world champion in the IBF super middleweight and I’m ready to fight with everybody!”
Regarding who he believes will win the Super Six Final matchup between Andre Ward and Carl Froch:
“In my opinion, I think Ward wins this fight because Ward is more talented with more speed, and I think Andre Ward will win this fight and the tournament, too.”
On whether he would prefer to face Andre Ward instead of Carl Froch:
“No, I’m ready to fight Andre Ward or Carl Froch.”
On whether he ever considered making the move up to 175 pounds at light heavyweight:
“No, for the moment I will stay at 168. I feel great in this category. I don’t have a problem making weight, and I will stay here for one more or two years. I don’t know.”
On what he considers to be the best aspect of his game that he brings into the ring with him:
“I think I’m very strong for this category. I’m in good shape every time. My speed is a big key in my strategy.”
Regarding a potential fight between him and former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik:
“At this moment I’m very confident for my next fight against Jean Paul Mendy on July 9. It’s very important for me. It is a fight for the title and I’m very confident for this fight. After that I say I’m ready to fight everybody, maybe Kelly Pavlik. That’s no problem for me. He’s a very good fighter. Kelly Pavlik was a great champion and he is a good boxer. I’m ready for a fight with him.”
His views on Bernard Hopkins’ historic victory when he beat Jean Pascal to become the oldest boxer to win a major world championship:
“It was a very interesting fight. Congratulations for Hopkins. He’s 46 years old and it was a great, great, great performance in becoming the world champion. It was a great job for him and I have even more respect for him. He’s a great champion.”
His views on boxing’s biggest star Manny Pacquiao:
“Manny is a great fighter. He’s very serious and he trains very hard. He has more ability and he’s a very strong fighter. I have a lot of respect for him and like him as a fighter.”
On whether he believes a fight between many Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather might happen sometime next year and who he believes would win:
“In the last two years Mayweather doesn’t fight. It will be very difficult for him because he’s not active. Pacquiao is active! He fights two times a year I think and with this fight, everybody waits for this fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather. In my opinion I think Manny Pacquiao will win with Mayweather. I have a lot of respect for Mayweather. He’s a great champion and a very good fighter, but in my opinion Pacquiao would win this fight.”
Regarding what he feels will be his biggest asset going into his fight against Jean Paul Mendy:
“With Mendy, I have seen more fights with Mendy. He’s a good southpaw like me. He has a good left hook, a good left uppercut, and he’s a strong fighter. You know I’ve trained very hard. I’ve had good sparring and I feel great. I’ll wait until July 9 for this fight. My objective is to stay world champion.”
His official prediction for his July 9 fight against Jean Paul Mendy:
“As I said, my objective is to win this fight. It may be a decision, it may be before a decision. I don’t know, but it’s important for me to stay world champion.”
On whether he would be interested in having a fight with Bernard Hopkins given the fact Hopkins has previously stated Bute is on his radar:
“Of course, of course! I’m ready. For me it would be an honor to fight with Bernard Hopkins. He is a legend in boxing. Maybe within the next year we can have a great fight with Lucian Bute and Bernard Hopkins in Montreal or in the United States.”
Regarding what fans can expect from him for the rest of 2011:
“Well my next fight is July 9 in Romania. After that I’m supposed to fight in November.”
On what he would like to say to all of his fans and supporters:
“I want to say thank you to all of my fans in Canada and the United States and all of the world, and thank you very much for your support.”