by James Slater – Back in October, when IBF super-middleweight champion Lucian Bute of Canada (Romanian-born) met Mexico’s Librado Andrade, the fight’s ending, controversial as it was, resulted in much anger among fans and a trainer so incensed he managed to get himself suspended from the sport for three months. We know, and much has been written about, what happened in the 12th and final round last October – when a seriously fading Bute was seemingly on his way to being KO’d, only to get some extra seconds awarded to him by referee Marlon Wright..
Howard Grant, Andrade’s corner-man and coach, was so angry he pushed Wright seconds after Bute had retained his belt via one of the most contentious decisions of 2008. This physical display of disgust cost Grant his right to be a corner-man for three months. Now, however, some five months on, Andrade is ready to fight Vitali Tsypko in a fight he hopes will lead him to a rematch with Bute, and Grant is back in his fighter’s corner.
Both men have been speaking to Canada.com recently, and the subject that was dominant was the Bute fight.
Andrade, understandably, still thinks he won in October.
“I recognize Lucian out-boxed me the whole fight,” Andrade said. “But in my head I’m satisfied. I tried so hard to knock him out. And I finally did. I felt I did and the ref should have stopped it. He [Bute] was so hurt. He could have been permanently damaged. They gambled with his health. I did what I came to do – and it still wasn’t good enough.”
Mexican-born Andrade has been working with Grant since early 2008, and he is extremely popular in Canada. A win over the useful Tsypko, with the fight being an eliminator for a shot at Bute’s IBF belt, would bring Andrade the rematch he wants.
Grant also spoke about last October.
“It’s for the public to decide. But If I hadn’t thought I was right in my actions, I wouldn’t have been in this predicament,” Grant said. “Maybe it was a mistake [by Wright] and maybe it wasn’t. The world of boxing saw it. I hope it doesn’t tarnish his reputation. Marlon Wright’s a good ref. My suspension’s done, but he’ll always be under the microscope.”
It is to be hoped nothing out of the ordinary occurs in the Andrade-Tsypko fight, which takes place in Canada tomorrow night, on the Timothy Bradley-Kendal Holt card. Most fans would love to see the 30-year-old Mexican warrior get a rematch with Bute, but beating the 32-year-old southpaw from Ukraine who is currently 22-2(12) and who has never been stopped, will not be easy.
Very likely a distance fight, look for Andrade to pull out a close points win – and hopefully earn himself another go at Bute next.