Sport
The big event for the BIG fan
Carl Froch destroys super-middleweight champ Lucian Bute to win his third boxing world title
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Carl 'The Cobra' Froch wiped the floor with IBF super-middleweight
title-holder Lucian Bute to become a three-time world champion in his
home city last night.
The Nottingham fighter recorded his most dominant performance in the ring against quality opposition, knocking the Canadian-based Romanian Bute to the floor in the fifth round.
From the opening bell the 34-year-old Brit charged the incumbent champion swinging heavy-handed shots to his head and body.
Bute chose to box Froch on the outside, relying on what he believed was faster hand speed.
But Froch's initial plodding forays soon gave way to sharp jabs and overhand rights that troubled Bute and had him holding.
The former champ, who lost his title to American Andre Ward in the Super Six final last year, was unfathomably regarded as the underdog heading into the contest with unbeaten Bute, who was making a rare foray outside of his Canadian stronghold.
But Froch proved emphatically that defeat by Ward last time out was by no means the beginning of the end for him, stopping the stunned Bute in the fifth round to add the IBF crown to the WBC belt he held twice in the past.
Froch, whose record read 28-2 with 20 early wins coming into the fight, admitted in the build-up to the contest that he had much to prove after losing to Ward in the Super Six tournament final in America before Christmas.
He was at least able to rely on home support for the first time in three years after a daunting run of fights on foreign soil while Bute, 30-0 with 24 knockouts before tonight, also wanted to answer his critics who questioned his unblemished but untested record.
Roared on by a partisan crowd at the Capital FM Arena, Froch started positively.
After a cagey opening 30 seconds it was he who landed first, but received a warning for hitting on the break after the follow-up exchange.
He was the aggressor throughout the first round but found Bute ready with the trademark counters.
Bute landed a strong southpaw left in the second as Froch jabbed his way in successfully.
Froch won the second round too, finishing it emphatically with a right hand, left hook combination which hurt Bute.
Bute landed a good jab and left but Froch responded immediately and hurt his man with a succession of ferocious shots.
Bute was on wobbly legs and clinging on desperately.
Froch mercilessly marched forward and Bute still stood despite a hurtful right uppercut.
Froch was threatening to punch himself out, winging in shots, but also paused for breath to try to find the finisher.
Bute landed two counter lefts and somehow survived the round but Froch undoubtedly sensed the finish was in his sights.
Both men traded leather in the fourth as Froch hammered home a powerful right and followed it up with a flurry. But Bute, to his credit, planted his feet and fired back wilfully.
Froch jumped in with a right which had Bute in peril once again and another looked like forcing the end.
Bute, however, was saved by the bell as Froch landed a fierce left hook at the end of the round.
Bute was timid and unsteady when the fifth round got under way.
A right hand rocked his head back sickeningly and another, after several unanswered shots, forced him down with only the ropes holding him up.
Referee Earl Brown began administering a count - the crowd believed he had called it off - but when Bute's corner entered the ring to spare their man further punishment, Froch's redemption was complete in spectacular style.
Froch paid tribute to his home crowd after his emphatic victory.
He said: "It's still sinking in. I just want to say a big thank you to all the fans for coming here."
For Froch the win was the right answer after he was criticised following the defeat to Ward.
He added: "After the Andre Ward defeat I was very deflated. I was here tonight to put right a wrong.
"I came here more determined than I've ever been before," Froch said on Sky Sports 1.
"I've been guilty of switching off in the past but tonight I've been very focused."
The Nottingham fighter recorded his most dominant performance in the ring against quality opposition, knocking the Canadian-based Romanian Bute to the floor in the fifth round.
From the opening bell the 34-year-old Brit charged the incumbent champion swinging heavy-handed shots to his head and body.
Bute chose to box Froch on the outside, relying on what he believed was faster hand speed.
But Froch's initial plodding forays soon gave way to sharp jabs and overhand rights that troubled Bute and had him holding.
The former champ, who lost his title to American Andre Ward in the Super Six final last year, was unfathomably regarded as the underdog heading into the contest with unbeaten Bute, who was making a rare foray outside of his Canadian stronghold.
But Froch proved emphatically that defeat by Ward last time out was by no means the beginning of the end for him, stopping the stunned Bute in the fifth round to add the IBF crown to the WBC belt he held twice in the past.
Froch, whose record read 28-2 with 20 early wins coming into the fight, admitted in the build-up to the contest that he had much to prove after losing to Ward in the Super Six tournament final in America before Christmas.
He was at least able to rely on home support for the first time in three years after a daunting run of fights on foreign soil while Bute, 30-0 with 24 knockouts before tonight, also wanted to answer his critics who questioned his unblemished but untested record.
Roared on by a partisan crowd at the Capital FM Arena, Froch started positively.
After a cagey opening 30 seconds it was he who landed first, but received a warning for hitting on the break after the follow-up exchange.
He was the aggressor throughout the first round but found Bute ready with the trademark counters.
Bute landed a strong southpaw left in the second as Froch jabbed his way in successfully.
Froch won the second round too, finishing it emphatically with a right hand, left hook combination which hurt Bute.
Bute landed a good jab and left but Froch responded immediately and hurt his man with a succession of ferocious shots.
Bute was on wobbly legs and clinging on desperately.
Froch mercilessly marched forward and Bute still stood despite a hurtful right uppercut.
Froch was threatening to punch himself out, winging in shots, but also paused for breath to try to find the finisher.
Bute landed two counter lefts and somehow survived the round but Froch undoubtedly sensed the finish was in his sights.
Both men traded leather in the fourth as Froch hammered home a powerful right and followed it up with a flurry. But Bute, to his credit, planted his feet and fired back wilfully.
Froch jumped in with a right which had Bute in peril once again and another looked like forcing the end.
Bute, however, was saved by the bell as Froch landed a fierce left hook at the end of the round.
Bute was timid and unsteady when the fifth round got under way.
A right hand rocked his head back sickeningly and another, after several unanswered shots, forced him down with only the ropes holding him up.
Referee Earl Brown began administering a count - the crowd believed he had called it off - but when Bute's corner entered the ring to spare their man further punishment, Froch's redemption was complete in spectacular style.
Froch paid tribute to his home crowd after his emphatic victory.
He said: "It's still sinking in. I just want to say a big thank you to all the fans for coming here."
For Froch the win was the right answer after he was criticised following the defeat to Ward.
He added: "After the Andre Ward defeat I was very deflated. I was here tonight to put right a wrong.
"I came here more determined than I've ever been before," Froch said on Sky Sports 1.
"I've been guilty of switching off in the past but tonight I've been very focused."
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