Heroic Battle, Shocking Conclusion, Watch it here...

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Librado Andrade v Lucian Bute R12 (high quality)

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sourced by mr.zoltanblack

Why do I hold on, so long and so tightly to sports that have fade from past glory?

Thoroughbred Horse Racing once the sport of king, now reduced to peasants and scallywags. Stickball raises my blood pressure but competitively speaking is limited to those under twelve. And then of course there is Boxing, long forgotten, replaced by mixed-martial arts. Pugilism, fisticuffs, the oldest sport known to man.

I’m really not sure... but this does strikes me as an appropriate conversation to be had during my Monday evening session with clinician extraordinaire Mrs. Désintéressé.

This question is a little bit easier to answer...Friday night as the world prepared for the UFC Heavyweight Blockbuster between Randy "the natural" Couture and former NCAA All-American Brock Lesner, the Beligl Centre in Montreal, Quebec played host to the Super Middleweight fight of the year.

Hometown stud and IBF Super Middleweight Champion Lucian Bute (22-0, 18 KOs)

Vs

Accomplished Mexican-American challenger Librado Andrade (27-1, 21 Kos)

With the support of a house full of raucous Quebequois fans the undefeated Bute sailed to an insurmountable lead. A key victory, for a key fighter, on his home turf... or so it seemed before the final two round early Saturday morning.

As dew began to form on the windshield of my Ford Truck (Hybrid) Quebec fighter Lucian Bute lost his form. The fight was in the late going and Bute had expended more energy in the early going than in any of his previous fights. The fighters hands dropped below his waist, his chest caved, gasping for air and his legs wiggled and wobbled like a tub full of jelly.

As the challenger, Andrade pressed on Bute fished the eleventh round, a shell of the Champion he once was, a desperate man. Desperate to remain on his feet for just three minutes more.

Andrade a forward moving puncher with incredible power once challenged for a championship title only to come up short against current WBA champion Mikkel Kessler in Andrade’s only losing effort. Coming up short, at least in the final round against Lucian Bute did not appear to be an option.

And those where the stakes going into the final round of this years Super Middleweight fight of the year...A Champion desperate to remain on his feet and a challenger, the "truth maker" holding the fait of a Champion in his fists.

As the fighters drew to the centre of the ring for the final round it was clear that Bute, the Champion had amassed an undeniable lead on the judges scorecards and the only way the challenger could avoid a second consecutive championship loss would be to land a knock-out blow on the fading Champ.

The remaining three minutes that make up the final round may one day be described in some poetic manner by the ghost of Howard Cosell or some French-Canadian poet but for now let me suggest a complete viewing of the final round.

Bute, the fighter in the blue trunks has a massive lead and will win the fight if only he can avoid a knock-out blow from the surging Andrade.

Andrade the fighter in the black trunks conversely must knock out his opponent if he has any chance of leaving the Bell Centre champion.

Z.B.