Undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight champion Lucien Bute (22-0, 18 KOs) will make the second defense of his title against once-beaten, No.1 ranked challenger Librado Andrade (27-1, 21 KOs) in a special edition of ShoBox: The New Generation, Friday, Oct. 24 live on SHOWTIME at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
In the co-feature, top prospect and No. 11 ranked World Boxing Council (WBC) contender Ronald Hearns (19-0, 15 KOs) will take on Paul Clavette (14-1-1, 2 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout.
The fights, which feature four boxers with a combined total of 56 KOs and only two loses, will be promoted by Interbox Corporation of Montreal, Canada from the Bell Centre in Montreal.
A southpaw with true knockout power, Bute, of Montreal, is confident in making another defense in his hometown, where he has fought 18 of his 22 professional bouts.
“I’m thrilled to be making another title defense in my backyard,” Bute said. “I worked so hard to get this title that I’m not going to let anybody take it away from me.”
The 6’2’’ brawler may have knockout power, but Bute is going to need more than that to stop Andrade, also 6’2’’, who has never been knocked out. “I know he (Andrade) is a tough fighter,” Bute said. “But I’m just as tough as he is. I’ve never lost a fight, let alone been knocked out. I’d love to knock him out, but a victory is a victory. As long as I walk out of that ring still a champion I’m happy.”
A hard-hitting Mexican warrior, Andrade is no stranger to world title fights. His sole loss came in a unanimous decision against then World Boxing Association (WBA) and WBC 168-pound champion Mikkel Kessler on March 24, 2007. Andrade bounced back from that loss with three consecutive knockouts in his last three bouts. In his last fight on March 22, 2008, Andrade registered an eighth round KO over Robert Stieglitz in an IBF eliminator bout to earn a shot at Bute. “I’m back to the top of my game,” Andrade said. “You only get so many shots at a title in your career, so you better believe that I’m coming prepared. This is what’s it’s all about. This is what I train for.”
Andrade will be traveling to hostile territory to take on Bute. In his only other fight in Canada, on April 8, 2006, Andrade knocked out Otis Grant in the seventh round in a WBC eliminator bout. “I’m not worried about traveling to his backyard,” said Andrade. “I’m not traveling all the way up there to get beat. I’ll fight him anywhere for that title.”
The co-feature should be as action packed as the main event as it pits two rising prospects with opposing styles. Hearns uses his explosive power to dominate his opponents, while Clavette relies on his polished boxing skills to outpoint his opponents. Hearns, who has knocked out 80 percent of his challengers, is one of the top prospects in the junior middleweight division. The WBC No. 11 and WBA No. 13 challenger uses strong combinations and devastating right hooks to plow through his opponents. “My goal is to get to the top, but I have to get though Clavette first,” said Hearns, of Southfield, Mich. “This is a tough fight and I’m not looking past it. I’m confident I’ll win, but for me the only thing I’m worried about is Oct. 24.”
The son of eight time world champion Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns, Hearns may need to adjust his style against the crafty Clavette, who has never fallen to the canvas in his 16 professional bouts. The 6’3’’ brawler has a height advantage over the 5’10’’ Clavette, who possesses blazing speed and great footwork. “Style-wise, it’s going to be a different match up,” Hearns said. “But that has never stopped me before. I’ve fought a lot of different style fighters and I’m still progressing as a boxer. I learn something in all of my fights, but the important thing is that I walk out with a victory.”
Clavette, of Quebec, Canada, only has one loss on his record, a split decision against David Banks on May 24, 2006. The prospect knows that he needs a victory over Hearns to stay relevant in the junior middleweight division. “Oct. 24 is my shot to prove myself on SHOWTIME,” Clavette said. “I know Hearns is coming ready to fight, but I need this win more than he does. This is my big shot and I’m ready.”