Bute In Training

Former super-middleweight world champion Lucian Bute returns to action on August 15 in Montreal, his first bout since his loss to Jean Pascal 18 months ago. The match will be part of Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions series and broadcast on NBCSN. For Bute, who has been based in the Montreal area for many years now and is highly popular in Quebec, this will be a homecoming of sorts and a new beginning. He is entering the ring with a new trainer, a new contract with Haymon and a whole new attitude about his career and future prospects.

“Now, I feel good,” he told The Fight City a few weeks ago in an exclusive interview. “My mind is clear and I feel positive and motivated. I like what I do; I like my team. It’s a fresh start.”

It should be noted that Bute’s opponent for his big comeback fight is no ‘gimme.’ Andrea Di Luisa is a European champion with 13 knockouts in 17 wins against only two losses. While the Italian can be viewed as a tune-up opponent as Bute eyes bigger matches for the future, the former world champion needs to both win and impress in front of his fans on August 15.

Bute now trains at the Grant Brothers Boxing Gym in Montreal and The Fight City’s very own Manny Montreal has been closely following the former champion’s progress as the former conqueror of Sakio Bika, Glen Johnson and Librado Andrade works to get himself into peak condition for this crucial match. Bute and his new lead trainer Howard Grant have welcomed Manny as an unofficial in-house camera man, giving him exclusive access and allowing him to document Bute’s training. Manny has posted scores of photos and videos on our Facebook page, but in future more of Manny’s work will be featured here on The Fight City.

Having the chance to regularly watch Bute workout and spar, Manny is impressed by Lucian’s intensity and dedication. “The man is relentless. You can see how motivated he is as he’s always on time, always ready to go, and he just never stops working until Howard tells him to stop. In terms of dedication and focus and hard work, this comeback is already a success. I think on August 15th we’re going to see a return to form, the kind of performance we haven’t seen from Bute in years.”

Check out Manny’s exclusive photos and stay tuned to The Fight City for more on Bute, as well as more from the one-and-only @MannyMtl.