Photo by Mathieu Belanger/Getty Images
On Friday, February 24, 2017, Light Heavyweight contender Eleider Alvarez scored a fifth-round KO victory against Lucian Bute to win a shot at the WBC title at the Videotron Center in Montreal, Canada.
The scheduled 12-round fight was promoted by GYM Promotions.
Bute, a 36-year-old Romanian-born fighter, was a long-time Super Middleweight titleholder from 2007 until 2012, when his reign was ended brutally by Carl Froch.
Since then, Bute has campaigned at Light Heavyweight and Super Middleweight, losing to the likes of Jean Pascal, James DeGale and Badou Jack.
In all three fights, Bute had lost by decision, but tonight, against yet another solid opponent, he lost in the same round and in the same fashion as his 2012 defeat against Froch.
Alvarez, a 32-year-old native of Colombia, is a top-ten contender whose most significant victory before tonight was against Isaac Chilemba in 2015.
Tonight, Alvarez re-solidified his status as a major player in the Light Heavyweight division.
In Round 5, after working on the inside for a bit, Alvarez landed two consecutive right hands that stiffened and dropped Bute.
Bute was clearly hurt from the shot, and he struggled to get up. Though he made it to his feet before the 10-count, referee Marlon Wright had seen that Bute was done and promptly waived the fight.
Alvarez now has a shot against Adonis Stevens, the current WBC and lineal Light Heavyweight champion.
If he can secure a fight with Stevenson next, who do you think wins? Let us know in the comments section below.
