Brian Magee named as the likely next opponent for Lucian Bute – News

By Boxing News - 12/19/2010 - Comments

Image: Brian Magee named as the likely next opponent for Lucian Bute - NewsBy Peter Brayshaw: British super middleweight champion James De Gale (9-0, 7 KO’s) is now unable to face European Boxing Union champion Brian Magee (34-3-1, 24 KO’s). It will be shortly confirmed that Magee will face Lucian Bute (27-0, 22 KO’s) in March for Bute’s IBF super middleweight title. Brian Magee has earned his world title shot on the back of a ten fight winning streak during which he captured the British light-heavyweight title, British super middleweight title and the European super middleweight title. He was also recently named as a mandatory challenger to WBA champion, Dimitry Sartison.

At 35 years of age he has earned his shot but if I see losses on a boxer’s record then I want to know why, Magee has three.

Brian Magee won the IBO super middleweight title in 2001 and on his ninth defence he suffered his first loss as a professional by a close but unanimous decision to former WBC title holder Robin Reid (39-6-1, 27 KO’s). The following year in July 2005, he suffered his second loss when he fought unbeaten opponent, Vitaliy Tsypko (22-3, 12 KO’s). Tsypko was 17-0 at the time and in another close fight Magee lost by split decision. Even after these two losses Magee was still considered a good fighter, the guy had never been stopped and narrow decisions had stained his record. In 2007 he got the chance to prove his worth against the highly regarded Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch (27-1, 20KO’s). Froch was British and Commonwealth champion and his record was 18-0 when the two met. Froch was simply too much for Magee to handle and in retrospect we can understand why. Magee got caught with a wicked uppercut in the opening round and went down. He brushed himself off and went after Froch but the power and strength of the future 2-time world champion eventually wore him down. Magee was constantly holding and after a hard ten rounds Froch landed another devastating uppercut in round 11 and the fight was over. Four years, ten months and ten victories later Magee is again up against one of the very best of his era.

Lucian Bute is arguably the best active fighter at 168 and the most highly rated super middleweight since Joe Calzaghe. Many would dispute this due to the level of opposition compared to the likes of Ward and Froch, his toughest assignments being Andrade and Bika. Even though this is true I find it difficult to dispute his No.1 status. Bute is quick and he knocks guys out, added to that his movement and array of punches he is the one to beat. I would have preferred to see him facing someone like Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO’s) or even Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KO’s) but unfortunately Dirrell is still recovering from neurological problems and Pavlik is nowhere to be found. If Kelly Pavlik still has world title aspirations then having a go at Bute would have surely been the perfect opportunity and Bute would of jumped at the chance.

The fight will be announced officially on Monday. It will be Lucian Bute v Brian Magee for the IBF super middleweight title on March 19th. It will be Bute’s seventh title defence and another chance to see one of the best active boxers in the world today.



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