After a two-year grind to win Showtime’s Super Six tournament, newly unified WBA and WBC champion Andre Ward believes IBF titlist Lucian Bute needs to prove himself against 2-3 high-level opponents to earn a unification bout.
Ward, who took a dominant decision from Carl Froch on December 17, says Bute has not traveled outside of hometown nor endured the constant high level of competition that all the Super Six participants have been subjected to since 2009.
“I believe it will be made at some point, but I do believe he has to beat some good fighters. He needs to beat one or two good guys, A-level guys, and even in some cases come out of his hometown and do it to get a shot,” Ward told On the Ropes radio. “I think with some of the talk lately about me ducking him, I think after the schedule that the combatants in the Super Six have been on in the past two years, it’s really foolish to even bring up the notion that somebody is ducking Bute. I mean that’s just not the case. Like I said, I believe that’s a fight that should be made and will be made, but at the same time we have to be smart in this game.”
Ward noted two opponents, Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch, as fights Bute could take to affirm his standing as an elite fighter.
“I mean I’ve heard Dirrell say he wants to fight Bute, and Dirrell’s on the comeback trail. I think that would be a great fight,” said Ward. “Carl Froch, I think personally Froch will probably take a tune-up fight or a lesser fight to kind of regroup, but that’s up to his team and after that I think he should go to Lucian Bute. Those are the kind of guys I think he needs to beat and then I think the fight would even be bigger, and I think he would then warrant a shot at some of the big belts that we have.”
At press time, Lucian Bute could not be reached for comment.
For Andre Ward’s full interview transcript, click HERE.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 
I used to like Ward but now i really feel disgusted by his attitute. Bute is not a contender he is a champion! He does not have to “earn a shot at the title”. We are talking about a unification fight between 2 chapions. It seems to me that Ward wants to avoid Bute at all cost. He wants Bute to fight other s – I think Ward hopes that he loses his title and then Ward can say – well no need to fight him anymore…. I lost all respect for this guy!