By Herb Zurkowsky , The Gazette
MONTREAL - The possibilities are endless for International Boxing Federation super-middleweight champion Lucian Bute – provided he continues winning.
And should he succeed, there’s a good chance HBO will be there for every punch and round of action.
“Lucian Bute is charismatic. Even with the language barrier, he comes across really well on TV, and you can’t underestimate that power,” said Luis Barragan, the director of programming for HBO Sports. “Guys who become stars have that charisma, and it comes across on the screen.
“And he’s a really talented fighter and a really good boxer.”
HBO, the specialty channel available to more than 30-million homes in the U.S. – and the one considered the leader in boxing – will televise Bute’s title defence against Edison Miranda Saturday night at the Bell Centre.
The card, which begins at 7, will be picked up by the cable giant at 10, and will precede HBO’s coverage of Kelly Pavlik defending his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization middleweight titles against Sergio Gabriel Martinez in Atlantic City. Pavlik’s bout will be available at the Bell Centre.
The possibility exists of Pavlik moving to 168 pounds and eventually fighting Bute. It’s no coincidence HBO decided on the doubleheader, nor that it had a say in Miranda as the opponent. This marks Miranda’s fourth appearance on HBO.
While Bute was training in Miami for nine weeks his trainer, Stéphan Larouche, said they were preparing for HBO as much as for Miranda.
“You do it unconsciously,” Larouche said this week, upon their return to Montreal. “You’re in show business and you’ve got to deliver. You better get used to this forum and close the show if you can. The fans of HBO, you want them to be awake. If they fall asleep, they won’t want you back. And you won’t make money.”
It was likely no coincidence this week when Barragan, just hours following his arrival to the city, had lunch with Jean Bédard, the CEO of the Sportscene Group Inc., which oversees promoter InterBox and guides Bute’s career.
This marks Bute’s second consecutive appearance on the cable channel, virtually unheard of for a Canadian boxer. HBO came to Quebec last November, when Bute dispatched Librado Andrade in their rematch, requiring only four rounds to knock him out. With the victory, Bute improved to 25-0 with 20 KOs.
Barragan said his company was skeptical of Bute prior to the bout, but ended the evening convinced he was for real.
“That fight opened our eyes,” Barragan said. “As fight people, we’re suspicious of undefeated records – especially from places like Canada, which doesn’t produce a lot of great fighters. The Andrade performance was a measuring tape.”
Bute won a unanimous decision against Andrade in their first fight, but Bute also was knocked down near the end of the final round and appeared to benefit from a long count. HBO was curious how he would fare, without controversy.
“He showed good lateral movement. He hits guys with punches they don’t see coming,” Barragan said.
Considering it was Bute’s first exposure to American audiences, and the bout coincided with U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, it served as a reasonable barometer. “This fight’s more high profile,” Barragan said. “And you have Pavlik following on a good boxing night.
“Bute’s going to have a lot more eyes on him.”
HBO wanted Miranda due to his one-punch knockout potential, giving him entertainment value. Miranda, 33-4 (29 KOs) is no stranger to marquee matchups, having faced Pavlik, Arthur Abraham and Andre Ward.
“Let’s not kid ourselves. This night isn’t about Miranda. It’s about Bute, and how he reacts to Miranda,” Barragan said. “This will give Bute the opportunity to add another element.”
hzurkowsky@thegazette.canwest.com
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