By Sean McDaniel: In an interview after his loss to Carl Froch (29-2, 21 KO’s) last night in Nottingham, UK, former IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute (30-1, 24 KO’s) was disappointed in his performance, stating to the Romanian press “It’s in the contract but it’s too early to speak about it. I’ll go home and rest a bit…I’ll talk with my promoter and my coach to make a decision.”

Bute has a two-fight contract with Froch and the second fight is supposed to take place in Montreal where Bute now lives. However, Bute says he needs to sit down with his promoter and decide what they’re going to do. A rematch with Froch might be a risky thing for Bute to take at this point given his disastrous performance but it might be necessary for him to get some closure on this.

Bute already knew the mistakes he made in the fight, pointing out that he shouldn’t have spent so much time sitting on the ropes. Bute said “I waited a bit on the ropes which wasn’t good at all, but I thought I could catch him with a counter, which I did…He surprised me. He let his hands go better. He surprised me with those the hooks.”

Bute made a crucial error by staying against the ropes and letting Froch flurry on him. Bute wanted to land a single shot to try and stop Froch the way Bute had done against many of his previous opponents, but by staying in one place and not throwing enough punches, he took too much punishment.

Bute needed to move away or at least throw as many punches as Froch when he flurrying on him. Bute had the speed advantage but he seemed too committed to trying to land one big shot. That’s the negative effect of Bute having fought so many mediocre opponents of late. These guys have been caving in so easily from Bute’s power shots that he naturally assumed Froch would as well. Bute needs to go back to the way he fought as an amateur when he used to throw more combinations and was a much busier fighter.