In their highly anticipated super middleweight showdown from Nottingham, England, Carl Froch proved to simply have too much power and determination against Lucian Bute, hurting him repeatedly until earning a 5th round TKO win. Official time was 1:05 of the fifth. Read on for our full recap of the Bute vs. Froch results.
Bute vs. Froch Results
In front of a jam-packed, rowdy crowd in Nottingham, both fighters came out with some nervous energy. While Froch was of course on his home turf, Bute enjoyed a loud cheering section of his own. Froch was looking to be aggressive from the start, but in the first stanza, Bute excellently played matador to Froch’s bull, inviting him in but landing the cleaner shots with his jab, and his straight left.
Froch began taking control in the second, storming inside and landing a looping lead right hand, and getting a bit rough with Bute inside. It seemed like we would be in for a full night of hard-fought action.
But in the third, Froch badly hurt Bute, who at first feigned being hurt but then ultimately ended up badly rocked. Bute backed into the ropes and invited Froch in, but couldn’t avoid the incoming fire. He barely survived the round and despite not having been sent to the canvas, it could have easily been a 10-8 session for the Cobra.
Bute seemed to almost fully recover though by the 4th, and was even dictating some of the action. Had Froch gassed out looking for the early KO, allowing Bute back into the fight? Not so fast, as all he needed was another opportunity to land a big shot and send Bute reeling. Bute survived the round again, but in the 5th, he wouldn’t be so lucky.
Froch got him back to those ropes, as had been the case in the two previous rounds, and began teeing off. Bute’s head snapped back and his body seemed to be crumbling as the ropes supported him. The referee appeared to have called off the fight — but then began giving a count for a knockdown. But Froch’s team had already stormed the ring, and a chaotic scene was breaking out. However, Bute’s own cornermen came onto the canvas as well, and they had the ref stop the bout.
It’s obviously a huge win for Carl Froch, and it has a number of implications for the super middleweight division. Up next will be a Bute vs. Froch rematch, this time in Montreal, as they continue their home and home series. However, Froch may also be trying to angle for a rematch against Super Six Champion Andre Ward. Ward of course may be seeking a match with Chad Dawson next, but as mentioned, Froch is going to be occupied with the Bute rematch.
Even though Bute lost his belt, his undefeated standing and his status as one of the best fighters in the game by suffering a crushing KO loss, he showed a lot of grit and heart in the ring, fighting hard to survive while being badly hurt on multiple occasions. He also showed a lot of class after the fight, congratulating Froch on the win.
The Bute vs. Froch results were certainly exciting and unexpected, and will shake up the boxing world in a great way. It’s something the sport desperately needed given all the bad news as of late.
