Bermane Stiverne: Hail to the heavyweight chief
[BoxingGlove Notes]
At the U.S.C. Galen Center, Los Angeles, California, we saw a long awaited-since 2001-boxing miracle, an American Heavyweight Champion crowned, on Saturday, May 10th , 2014.
Wait, let’s not get ahead of ourselves because the “American” happens to be Haitian-born and a Canadian citizen.
Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne, 24-1-1, 21 knockouts, was born in Plaine-Du-Nord, Haiti, and at an early age he became a Canadian citizen.
We call him “American” because all of these years the Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, dominated or “owned” the entire classification of the heavyweight titles, the I.B.F., I.B.O., W.B.A., W.B.O. and the W.B.C.
You had to go to Germany to challenge them because no heavyweight title fight was celebrated here in the United States of America.
Then older brother Vitali decided to retire from the actual ring wars of boxing to enter the political ring wars. The Counseling body of the W.B.C. ruled that he had to relinquish his W.B.C. belt which then became vacant.
The fortunate heirs to fight for this coveted heavyweight title now vacant, were Cristobal “The Nightmare” Arreola, 36-4-, 31 k.o.’s., Mexican-American from Los Angeles, California, and Stiverne.
They were the rightful challengers for this world crown because they were the number 1 and 2 ranked. They had fought before in a phone- booth fight, in April 27, 2013, which was won by Stiverne after he severely fractured Arreola’s nose in the 2nd round.
Although knocked down, Arreola bleeding profusely from his nose fought ferociously on even terms with Stiverne until the later rounds when he tired perhaps due to his bleeding nose and lost a close but unanimous decision.
The rematch of course was a “war” of words and threats at all of the press conferences which actually was displayed in the fight. Stiverne and Arreola talked to each other from the opening bell while landing hard body and head punches on one another.
At times from the 2nd round through the 5th Arreola seemed to control the fight keeping Stiverne on the ropes and scoring with punches from all angles. At times Stiverne would land the harder hurting punches while leaning on the ropes, as Arreola seemed to begin to get tired and dropped his hands. Stiverne would mock Arreola “inviting” him to return and fight on the ropes.
Just before the 4th round bell sounded Stiverne landed a hard right hand that staggered Arreola who no doubt was saved by the bell. Arreola returned to his corner on weak legs. His trainer pleaded with him to keep his hands up and to punch to the body, and continue to jab which held Stiverne at bay.
When the 5th round started “B-Ware” Stiverne battered Arreola with several unanswered punches indicating to all of the 4,000 fans present that the end was near and that Cristobal Arreola’s dream of becoming the first Mexican to win the heavyweight crown was turning into a “nightmare” just like his nickname.
The 6th round was a repeat of the 5th as the very dominant and now confident Stiverne hit Arreola finally knocking him down by right hand punch to his left temple. Arreola the forever gallant warrior got up on unsteady legs as the referee, Jack Reese counted the mandatory 8 count while asking him if he was alright and wished to continued.
When the fight resumed, Stiverne severely battered Arreola knocking him down again and through the ring ropes and although he got up the referee mercifully stopped the one-sided fight at 2 minutes 2 seconds of the 6th.
Ironically, Arreola was winning the fight by a score of 50/46 until the knockout.
But the fight was not the story even though it involved veteran 2 ring gladiators. This was really the story of the “return” of the Heavyweight Title to the United States of America, yet this is oxymoronic because the now W.B.C. Champion is a Canadian citizen.
He is not a Floyd Patterson, Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Shannon Briggs, all of whom were born in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York; but he is the closest champ that we can call our own.
Another “first” is that the veteran boxing Promoter Don King is back on top of the boxing world with a heavyweight champ just like in years past when he had Mike Tyson rule the heavyweight division and in America.
Who is Bermane”B. Ware” Stiverne the current W.B.C. Heavyweight Champion?
He was a Canadian Silver and Bronze Medalist in the amateur ranks compiling a record of 49 wins and 10 losses, and when he turned pro under the promotion of Don King in 2005, he scored 11 straight knockouts winning the W.B.C. International, W.B.C., U.S. N.B.C., & W.B.A. Federation Heavyweight Crowns, and in 2011 won the vacant Silver Heavyweight Title.
What was amazing in this sport of instant fame, is that Stiverne was kept under the boxing radar by King until 2013, which resulted in his victory now as W.B.C. Heavyweight Champ.
Now the world knows Bermane Stiverne especially Wladimir Klitschko who will now have to face his challenge in a mandatory unification fight. The problem that has occurred now is the fact that Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, the sensational undefeated, 31-0, 31 knockouts, ex-Olympian has been promised a fight with the winner between Arreola and Stiverne.
The only way that Wilder would fight Stiverne before Wladimir Klitschko is if the sanctioning body of the W.B.C. would grant permission, by-passing Klitschko, and whoever wins, Wilder or Stiverne, would then fight for the unification of all of the heavyweight belts.
This Black Star writer would prefer to see Bermane Stiverne fight Wladimir Klitschko, unite the belts, bring them back “home” and then a defense against Deontay Wilder, in an All-American Heavyweight Championship fight.
My Black Star readers readers what do you think?
