MONTREAL - Former world title holder Lucian Bute of Montreal emerged from a 19-month ring absence to stop European light heavyweight champion Andrea Di Luisa in the fourth round on Saturday night.

Bute (32-2, 25 knockouts) knocked Di Luisa (17-3) down with three left hooks in the fourth. After an eight count, he charged in for another flurry of punches before the Italian's trainier threw in the towel and referee Steve St. Germain stopped the bout.

Bute was the IBF super-middleweight champion from 2007 until a crushing loss to Karl Froch in 2012. He had not fought since a loss to Jean Pascal of Laval, Que., in January 2014.

The 5,000 spectators at the Bell Centre saw what looked more like the Bute from his best days.