Former Romanian-Canadian boxer Lucian Bute, IBF world champion in the super middleweight category for five years, was included on Wednesday in the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame, for performances recorded in his career, the Canadian press says.
"After my entire career, to be included in the Pantheon of sports is something extraordinary. After becoming world champion, in 2007, this is practically the most important night for me. This shows that Lucian Bute has done something for Quebec sports, has made a mark on history. It's an honor and I'm very emotional," said Bute at the ceremony.
Bute (41 years old) has entered posterity during the 30th Gala of the Quebec Sports Hall of Fame (Le Pantheon des sports du Quebec), together with four other former athletes, hockey player Guy Carbonneau, skier Alex Harvey, hockey player Caroline Oellette and cyclist Marie-Helene Premont, a specialist in mountain biking. Furthermore, the Hall of Fame of the Canadian province also received football referee Sonia Denoncourt and Tom Quinn, the chair of the Board of Directors of the Institut national du sport du Quebec.
"When I arrived here in 2003, I spoke neither French, nor English. I integrated well, Quebec adopted me. I managed to sell 20,000 tickets to the Bell Center for each match. Today, my life is here, my family is with me, my children are born here. I am a true citizen of Quebec," Bute emphasized.
Lucian Bute announced the end of his career in March 2019, aged 39.
Bute had his last match in his professional career on February 24, 2017, in Quebec City, losing by knockout against Colombian Eleider Alvarez.
Lucian Bute, who successfully defended his IBF world title in super middleweight between 2007 and 2012, finished with a track record in professional bouts of 32 victories (25 by knockout) and 5 defeats (2 knockouts).
Bute has in his track record in amateur boxing a bronze medal at the World Championships in 1999, in Houston, but also a gold medal at the 2001 Francophonie Games in Ottawa-Hull (Canada), both in the welterweight category.
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