The On Deck Circle

This article has been submitted by Brandon “The Hebrew Hammer” Farber, and is part one in a multi-part Canadian boxing spotlight.

So you might be wondering how good these Quebec fighters I speak of actually are? Well, Lucian “Le Tombeur” Bute is the current IBF super-middleweight champion, holding a 22-0 record with 18 coming by way of knockout. Not only is he undefeated but he has also exhibited power and brings scintillating energy and excitement to the crowd every time he steps into the ring.

In his most recent fight, the Romanian born fighter dismantled a once great William Joppy. Bute delivered a 10th round TKO to the former three time middleweight champion who has fought formidable opponents such as Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, and Jermain Taylor. Although Joppy was an aging, over-the-hill fighter simply looking for a pay day, Bute’s dominant performance exemplified that he is a major player in the division. Joppy had gone the distance in all but his fifth round KO to Felix Trinidad in 2001.

So what’s next for Bute? Well, his and my first choice would have to be a unifying title fight with Joe Calzaghe assuming he retains his title against the great Bernard Hopkins in a fight that will take place on April 19th in Last Vegas. Although a Bute vs. Calzaghe fight would be logical and would provide an undisputed champion (something that boxing desperately needs in all of its divisions), it may be unlikely. Calzaghe has a 44-0 record with 32 knockouts but many have criticized him for fighting lesser quality opponents and ducking major challengers. The fight against Hopkins will actually be his first one outside of the United Kingdom. Calzaghe holds all the titles in the division except for the IBF title held by Bute. While a fight against Calzaghe is what Bute is aspiring for, it will most likely not be his next fight and may never happen should Calzaghe lose to Hopkins or should he continue to avoid dangerous opponents.

There has been some speculation that Bute will fight Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy on the Mosley vs. Judah PPV undercard on May 31st. Although Lacy has been fading as of late, he does have tremendous fan support in the U.S. In addition, a PPV fight would surely increase Bute’s exposure in the boxing world. A decisive win would establish Bute’s name and hopefully land him some big fights down the road. The potential big fights might be ones against Kelly Pavlik and Jermain Taylor. Bute’s trainer, Stephane Larouche, has said that he does not want to rush Bute’s development and he would be cautious about feeding him to the sharks too quickly. As you can probably see, Bute is a major player in the super middleweight division and he must be mentioned in the same breath as Calzaghe, Kessler and Lacy.

I hope that this article helps provide a glimpse into the rise of boxing in “La Belle Province” and the necessity for the Canadian sports media to provide a greater focus on these talented fighters. I look forward to hearing some feedback and your thoughts and feelings about the situation in Quebec.

Joachim Alcine is the current WBA super welterweight champion and he will be the focus of “Farber’s Featured Fighter’s: Part II

This article has been submitted by Brandon “The Hebrew Hammer” Farber, and is part one in a multi-part Canadian boxing spotlight.