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New date for Bute-Pascal

Fighters Network
13
May

The bout originally scheduled for May 25 between former IBF super middleweight titleholder Lucian Bute and ex-light heavyweight beltholder Jean Pascal, postponed due to an injury to Bute’s left hand, will take place on Dec. 7 or Jan. 25 in Montreal, according to Pascal’s promoter, Yvon Michel.

“We have two opening dates: Dec. 7 or Jan. 25. One or the other. We want to have some latitude, depending on the availability of HBO and the Bell Centre and everything,” said Michel.

“But from all of the information that we have been able to gather, we believe, and they are telling us, that Bute will be ready by Dec. 7.”

David Messier, Bute’s promoter with InterBox, confirmed the two working dates.



“InterBox and Groupe Yvon Michel have reserved the dates of Saturday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Montreal Bell Centre for the postponed Bute vs. Pascal bout,” read a joint statement from InterBox and Michel.

“Both promoters reserved two dates in order to afford HBO some options. Both promoters plan to discuss the two options with HBO Executives in a few weeks’ time before announcing the exact rescheduled date.”

Bute (31-1, 24 KOs) is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over previously unbeaten Denis Grachev last November, which helped him to rebound from last May’s fifth-round knockout loss to Froch that cost him his IBF title.

Pascal (27-2-1, 16 knockouts) is coming off a unanimous-decision triumph over Aleksy Kuziemski last December after losing to Bernard Hopkins in May of 2011.

Bute-Pascal was part of an HBO-televised doubleheader featuring the 168-pound rematch between IBF super middleweight beltholder Carl Froch and Mikkel Kessler, who decisioned Froch in April of 2010.

Although Kessler-Froch II, which will take place in London, will still air on HBO (in the U.S.), it is not known if it will still be broadcast live in parts of Canada now that Bute-Pascal has been moved.

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]

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