Boxing: Lucian Bute officially announced his retirement at 39 Lucian Bute officially announced his retirement

MONTREAL - After two years of inactivity, Lucian Bute has decided to officially end his career.

Even if the decision had been considered for a long time, it was with great emotion that he shared it with all those gathered at La Cage - Brasserie Sportive du Center Bell, the restaurant chain to which he had long been a partner when he was part of Jean Bédard's InterBox team.

“We spent unforgettable moments together, but it's time to take my leave, to turn the page, he said, holding back his sobs. It's very hard, but it's the best decision I make. »

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“Today, I come out of this sport with my head held high and, thank God, in good health. »

Bute says he started thinking about his future after his last fight, a knockout loss. facing Eleider Alvarez, in February 2017. A week later, his little girl, Ema, was born.

“It helped me accept this setback. I had no reason not to be happy, ”said the man who was world champion from 2007 to 2012.

A year later, it was the arrival of his son, Éric Stéphan, who convinced him.

“Two or three more fights for money wouldn't have changed anything. I achieved everything I wanted to do. I have nothing more to prove. I am healthy and I want to take care of my family. (...) When Éric came into the world, there was no longer any chance of me going back into the ring. »

He says he officially made his decision a few months ago. He intended to make the announcement on December 6, but the serious injury suffered by Adonis Stevenson on December 1 in Quebec City forced him to put it off.

"It wouldn't have been the right time," he humbly explained.

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As with his entire career, Bute was well supported to get through this difficult press conference, when he was accompanied on stage by his two career managers, Bédard and Yvon Michel, as well as by his two coaches, Stéphan Larouche and Howard Grant.

For Larouche too, it was a tough time to go through.

"I feel lucky and privileged to be here, but it's also difficult for me, launched the coach from the start, his voice compressed by the emotion. We expected him to be world champion. But bigger than his sport as he has been? No. »

"You are an exceptional being," continued Larouche. In exceptional, there are several qualities. You have them all. »

Bute retires with 32 wins, 25 of them by knockout, to just five losses. His last fight dates back to February 2017, a defeat by K.-O. against Eleider Alvarez.

It is safe to say that the 39-year-old pugilist has had a career in two stages. He first signed 30 consecutive victories, winning the super middleweight title of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) by passing the K.-O. to Alejandro Berio, in a supercharged Bell Center, on October 19, 2007.

"He was the one we came to see, regardless of the opponent," recalled Michel. He was unifying as we have rarely seen here. »

He then defended his belt nine times, but against the Englishman Carl Froch, he had his Waterloo.

In this duel fought at the aspirant's, in Nottingham, Bute is not the shadow of himself and he gets the K.-O. in the fifth round.

"It's definitely the worst moment of my career," noted Bute, who wants to stay involved in boxing, whether as manager or analyst. I think you could say that was the beginning of the end, because I was never the same afterwards. »

“It was a hard defeat, which hurt me. There was always a hesitation after this fight. I consulted psychologists in an attempt to chase this away, but it never entirely went away. »

When it was time to get back in the ring, some six months later, he scored a unanimous decision victory over Denis Grachev, which left everyone on his toes.

There followed a 13-month break before a fight against Jean Pascal, which electrified the entire Quebec boxing scene. But Pascal then faces a Bute who is still affected by the loss to Froch, and he gets a one-sided decision.

After a victory against Andrea Di Luisa, Bute seems to be reborn and delivers his two best fights in a long time.

He first lost a unanimous decision against Britain's James DeGale in November 2015 for the IBF super middleweight belt after an inspired performance, before delivering a draw against Badou Jack in April 2016 for the World Boxing Council (WBC) 168-pound title.

Bute failed a doping test, however, and the draw was turned into a disqualification. After serving a six-month suspension, he returned to the ring one last time, in the role of foil to the young wolf Alvarez.