By Scott Gilfoid: The talented ex-IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (30-1, 24 KO’s) is putting everything on the line tonight against the monstrous punching unbeaten Denis Grachev (12-0-1, 8 KO’s) at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Canada. A loss for the 32-year-old Bute will ruin any chance that he might have of trying to avenge his loss to Carl Froch.

Bute lost to Froch earlier this year in a shocking upset in Nottingham, England, and Bute badly wants to avenge that defeat. However, Bute isn’t making things easy for himself by choosing to fight NABF light heavyweight champion Grachev.

Bute could have done what Froch did by choosing a much safer fight against Yusaf Mack, but Bute didn’t want to go that way. He has too much respect for himself to take easy fights just to pad his record and make easy money. Bute cares too much about boxing as a sport to take the safe route.

He’s not going do that to himself and he’s going to do that to his boxing fans. I really respect Bute a great deal, because he’s not someone that wants to just milk the boxing public like some fighters do. He’s only interested in fighting the best, and if he’s not good enough to beat the best then he’ll move on with his career and retire.

Okay, so what Bute has to do tonight is try to avoid at all costs getting hit by Grachev’s sledgehammer right hands. This guy can punch a hole through you if you stop and trade with him. If Bute does try and fight this guy toe-to-toe, he’s going to have to keep his guard up to block his punches because he won’t last long with this guy hitting him.

I rate Grachev’s power as being a lot better than Froch’s, and we saw how easily Bute crumbled in getting tagged consistently by Froch last May in his 5th round knockout loss. It’s painfully obvious that Bute’s chin isn’t the best. As such he’s go to stay on the move, hit and not get hit in return.

Bute has got to try and frustrate Grachev by using his boxing ability to keep from getting clocked by one of his big rights. Grachev destroyed Ismayl Sillakh by an 8th round TKO last April, and Sillakh is a fighter that does some things better than Bute, such as moving and throwing punches from odd angles. Bute has to find the wheels to move in this fight because he’s not going to last long against Grachev if he can’t keep moving.