By Dan Ambrose: IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (29-0, 24 KO’s) has a tough fight ahead of him against Glen Johnson (51-15-2, 35 KO’s) on November 5th in Canada. However, that’s not keeping the 31-year-old Bute from looking past that fight to the winner of the October 29th Super Six finals bout between Carl Froch and Andre Ward.

Bute wants to fight winner of that bout after the Johnson fight, provided that Bute can get past Johnson. It’s likely that Bute will win that fight because Johnson is slowing down and has lost three out of his last five bouts.

However, Bute’s run of luck could run out on him against the winner of the Ward vs. Froch fight, because both of those guys are a lot better than the fighters that Bute has been taking on his entire career. Bute won’t be able to knock either of them out in the early rounds like he’s gotten accustomed to doing recently, and he’ll likely be forced into a long grueling fight where he’ll take a lot of punishment.

That’s an area where Bute could be vulnerable because he doesn’t hold up well when he’s hit a lot, and as we saw in his questionable win over Librado Andrade in 2008, Bute can beat hurt if you nail him with hard shots. I rate Ward and Froch a lot higher than Andrade in ability. Bute’s title run could end against either of those guys, especially Ward, who can do all the same things that Bute does but a lot better.

Johnson could ruin things for Bute by knocking him out in November. Johnson’s right hand power is excellent and if he’s able to put hands on Bute all night long from time to time, he could take him out. Johnson lost his last fight to Carl Froch, but he touched him with huge shots in every round of the fight. Johnson landed at least two huge shots each round. That may not sound like a lot but it’s enough against a fighter with a questionable chin like Bute.