Eleider Alvarez wins WBC light heavyweight title eliminator
Saturday 25 February 2017 09:40, UK
Eleider Alvarez stopped Lucian Bute in five rounds to put his himself in pole position for the WBC light-heavyweight title.
The pair shared the opening four rounds in the battle between the two Montreal-based boxers before undefeated Alvarez landed two rights to send Bute crashing to the canvas.
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"I've been practising that move for a long time," said Colombian-born Alvarez after the bout in Quebec City.
Victory secured Alvarez, who lost to Britain's Tony Jeffries in the 2008 Olympics, mandatory status to Adnois Stevenson's WBC belt and left questions over former IBF super middleweight champion Bute's career in the ring.
The 36-year-old held the IBF crown for five years until he was handed a crushing defeat by Carl Froch in 2012 and failed in his bid to regain the 168lb belt when he lost to James DeGale in 2015.
"That's boxing," said Romanian-born Bute, who was fighting for only the sixth time since losing to Froch almost five years ago.
"I thought I fought well but he surprised me with a good punch. Hats off to him, he deserved the win."
