Sharkie’s Machine: Bute KO’d in 12th Round but Still Wins Decision?


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Sharkie’s Machine: Bute KO’d in 12th Round but Still Wins Decision?

By Frank Gonzalez Jr., exclusive to DoghouseBoxing (Oct 25, 2008) Photo © Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

Friday night in Montreal , IBF Super Middleweight titlist Lucian Bute fought IBF #1 Contender Librado Andrade for the title. It was a one sided fight with the quicker Bute controlling the action for most of the rounds. Andrade is a strong fighter with a great chin who reminds me of Welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito, in that while he lacks any noticeable aesthetic boxing skills but he has great stamina, a hell of a chin and a great desire to win.

Bute used his jab and slick boxing skills to easily win ten of twelve rounds. His speed and accuracy

was impressive. The referee showed his bias in favor of his fellow Canadian, Lucian Bute, when he warned Andrade a few times for holding, when it was Bute who was initiating many of those clinches. In the tenth round, Bute pushed Andrade, who fell to the canvas. Wright ruled it a knockdown. And when Andrade started to turn the tempo of the fight, the ref stepped between them for no legit reason, forcing a reset and impeding Andrade’s chances to turn the momentum in his own favor.

In the 11th round, Andrade scored some big rights that hurt Bute , who was already fatigued from throwing so many punches earlier. In the 12th, Andrade cashed in on the work he did in the 11th and took advantage of the tiring Bute, pressing him into the ropes and unloading his offense, landing some shots that staggered Bute , who looked out on his feet. With about 20 seconds left in the round, Andrade had Bute against the ropes and kept punching. Bute staggered across the ring and Andrade chased him down. Bute clinched and the ref stepped between them and seemed to be trying to help Bute survive the final moments and with about five seconds left, Andrade landed a big right that dropped Bute into the ropes and onto the canvas. The referee did NOT begin to count but circled around the ring, giving Bute a chance to get up before he started to count.

From the moment Bute went down, I started to count. I was almost at ten when Bute managed to stand up on wobbly legs, looking incapable of continuing. Finally, Wright approached Bute and started to count. I had already counted to 15 by the time he started his count. By the count of three, Wright turned completely around and started to shout at Andrade to go to his corner. But Andrade was already IN his corner and gave no indication that he was going to interfere with the count, as late as it was being administered.

Wright then turned back to Bute and continued to count backwards from ten. When he got to seven, a bell rang and it was over. Wright managed to manipulate the situation so that Bute appeared to beat the count and then the decision was quickly arrived at. Bute was called the winner by Decision.

I don’t know why there even was a decision—since Bute was knocked out!

After the robbery, Andrade was asked by Showtime’s Steve Farhood what he thought about what had happened and Andrade said; “He ( Bute ) was clearly out. It was outrageous! If this is the way to lose a fight, than this is the way I want to lose. I know I won the fight because I came with the intent to knock him out and I did.” When asked if he would take a rematch, Andrade said he would, but that he doubted Bute would give him a rematch.

A moment later, Bute was interviewed and he spoke via translator. Bute stuck to the story that Andrade had won that last round but that he had won the most rounds and thus, the fight. Bute never admitted that he was knocked out but the video replays didn’t confirm his story. Surely Andrade’s camp would’ve given Bute a rematch after losing 10 rounds and winning by KO in the 12th. When Bute was asked about a rematch, he gave no real indication that he would.

If there is any integrity in boxing, there should be a review of this fight and Andrade should be named the correct winner—by KO 12. But don’t count on it.

Comments, Questions, can be emailed to dshark87@hotmail.com.