Swedish super middleweight Badou Jack edges closer to his highly anticipated bout with Canada-based Romanian Lucian Bute and is looking for a second successful WBC title defence to give him a springboard towards unification.
Jack (20-1-1) scooped the title a year ago by besting the previously undefeated KO artist Anthony Dirrell. The odds had favoured Dirrell on the night, but Jack showed his class on route to taking the majority decision.
“Tough” (CC BY 2.0) by modomatic
His first defence came against England’s George Groves and he was again successful after a hard fought split decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After his first defeat in 2014, Jack has had a phenomenal turnaround to become world champion so quickly and he now rides a four-fight winning streak coming into the bout with Bute.
Although the latest boxing odds have Bute at 10/3, Jack will be very wary of the hard-hitting body puncher. However, Jack’s recent performances will give him plenty of confidence even though he’s aware of the threat he faces.
“This is the toughest fight of my life,” he revealed. “I think he’ll bring out the best in me.”
Bute (32-3 25 KOs) doesn’t have that same momentum, having sustained his three defeats in his last six fights. He also hasn’t been as active as the Swede and that could also play a role in the matchup.
Last time out, Bute lost a decision to Brit James Degale for the IBF variant of the super middleweight gold and that’s what Jack will be aiming for if he can repeat the feat. Degale takes on Rogelio Medina on the same card and looks tough to beat, with both men having offered their willingness to put the belts on the line in the future.
Video – Jack: I want to unify with Degale and Ramirez
Degale stated that it would be a “fantastic fight”, given Jack’s confidence and status. In a time when it seems the big fights happen a few years too late and give more questions than answers, the Olympic gold medal winner was also adamant it would be great for the sport.
Both men have jobs to do first. They don’t want to insult their respective opponents in Bute and Medina by agreeing to anything before the fights are over. But if the wins go their way, it would be a mammoth IBF and WBC super-middleweight title fight.
Gilberto Ramirez will want his say in the quest to become undisputed, too, and this could lead to an exciting period of transition for the division.
