Showtime Boxing Weights and Quotes Lucian Bute vs Librado Andrade


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Showtime Boxing Weights and Quotes Lucian Bute vs Librado Andrade

By Media report on DoghouseBoxing (Oct 23, 2008) DoghouseBoxing.com (Photo © Tom Casino/SHOWTIME)

La Cage Aux Sports in downtown Montreal was packed with local and Canadian national media members on Thursday as hometown favorite and IBF Super Middleweight World Champion Lucian Bute (22-0, 18 KO) weighed in at the division limit of 168 pounds. His opponent, hard-hitting, No. 1-ranked IBF contender Librado Andrade (27-1, 21 KO) of La Habra , Calif. , weighed in at 167.8 pounds.

The pair will square off on Friday, Oct. 24, in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation, live at 11 p.m.

ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Friday’s ShoBox co-feature will pit undefeated heir-apparent Ronald Hearns (20-0, 16 KO), of Detroit , against Montreal native Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KO). Hearns weighed in at 154 pounds while Clavette weighed 154.2. (NOTE: The contracted weight for this fight is 155 pounds)

Fighter Quotes From Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008

LUCIAN BUTE

BUTE: “I am excited and happy that Friday is almost here. I think Andrade is going to be the toughest opponent that I have ever faced. When you think of who he has fought and what he has accomplished, he would have to rank as my toughest fight.

“I have surprising speed and I will use my jab to make a difference. I’ll use the jab and combinations and movement. If I stick to my plan, I doubt he’ll be able to do much. He’s a one dimensional fighter. He fights only one way – in your face.

(In Andrade’s fight vs. Mikkel Kessler) “Kessler showed that when you stand with (Andrade), he can make a very difficult, hard fight. But when Kessler used his tools, he was able to make it an easier fight.

“I feel that what I’ve done in my career, I should be considered on the same level as Kessler. I am ready to unify the titles. I am ready to face anyone in this division. The Canadian fans have been wonderful to me here in Montreal . But I am ready to go anywhere, fight anybody.

“I am happy that SHOWTIME will bring this fight to the American audience, but I won’t be thinking about that when I get in the ring. I have to make sure I focus and stick to my game plan against Andrade. It will be a great fight.”

LIBRADO ANDRADE

(NOTE: Andrade has been training with Howard Grant since January. This will be there second fight together)

ANDRADE: “We have been thinking about this fight since March. We are counting the hours down until Friday.

“I will be in his face. Whoever does more damage will win this fight. Whoever makes the first big dent is going to be in control.

“I need him to engage me. I am quick and I go on instinct. If he engages, it’ll get my motor running.”

GRANT: “If you kill the body, the head will die. This is not a chess match or a game. We are going to take the fight to him. Keep the heat on. People say ( Bute ) is fast, they say he’s too much. I want to see what happens when he gets hit, when he’s hurt.”

ANDRADE: “He (Grant) is my fire and I am the cool. I am a very passive person outside the ring. I feed off his energy.

“Howard put me into a whole different training camp for this fight. I am the same guy, the same fighter, but there are little things that come into play. My head movement, my hand movement, I am slipping punches better.

(On his goals beyond Friday night)

ANDRADE: “I want to be a world champion. I have this opportunity now. If it doesn’t go my way, I am not going to give up. This is not my last chance by any means. I’ll continue to fight. And it may come tomorrow, it may come next year or a few years from now, but I will achieve my dream.”

RONALD HEARNS

HEARNS: “I’ve fought guys that hold and run before. Those are the type of fighters that you have to pressure. You have to be relentless.

“Sometimes you win and you don’t look good doing it because of the style of your opponent. That doesn’t faze me. You have to go through those experiences to learn.

“I am ready to step up my game. When I am in there with higher level competition, I bring my game to the next level. That’s why I believe you have not seen the best Ronald Hearns has to offer. I want to prove a point. My whole career people have been saying, “you’ll never be as good as your father.” Well, I don’t need to be like my father. I am my own fighter and I am ready to come into my own.

(On importance of knocking out Paul Clavette)

HEARNS: “It depends on what kind of fight he brings to me. I’ll be very surprised if he wants to stand and trade with me.

(On his development since first ShoBox appearance [July, 2006 vs. Hector Hernandez])

HEARNS: “I was very raw against Hernandez. I have progressed quite a bit. I am more selective now (with punches), more patient and experienced.”

TOMMY “HITMAN” HEARNS: (father, on his sons’ development) “He’s improved so much as a fighter now. He’s learned to adjust his game as he grows. If he’s in top (physical condition), he can do anything he wants to do. He can be better than me.”

HEARNS: “I am over the comparisons. It used to bother me when people compared me to my father, but I am over that now. I am my own fighter. That’s the biggest difference.

“Until I fight a guy in the top-10 in the world rankings, you won’t see my best fight. I have always stepped up with the level of competition. I’ve been sparring with some top fighters and I’ve surprised them. I can see the look in their eyes. I know what I am capable of. It’s a matter of time now, before everyone else gets to see it.

PAUL CLAVETTE

(NOTE: Clavette left his day job as a security guard for the past four weeks to concentrate on training for this fight; He employed a new trainer – Abe Pervin – the former Canadian National Boxing Team trainer from the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.)

CLAVETTE: “I have worked hard on my balance and on stabilizing my punches. I feel more settled now when I throw punches and have more power as a result. I have also worked hard to improve my mobility. I think you will see a difference in this fight.

“My No. 1 asset is my heart. No. 2 is my conditioning. I quit my job so I could be in top condition and focus solely on training. To this point, fighting Ronald Hearns, this is not an opportunity to take lightly. We put everything in place so I can perform my best.

“I think my toughest challenge will be the height and reach of Hearns.

(This being his first 10-round fight)

CLAVETTE: “We sparred 6 and 8 rounds for most of my career. Now I am sparring 10 rounds and I feel great.”