Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne– will he prevail tonight?
Now that all of our New York sports teams are “history” for the year 2014, and some are on the road to perdition, with the Football play-offs on the way, we can probably look forward to an exciting 2015 boxing calendar topped by a Heavyweight Championship fight finally being held right here in the United States of America, and it does not include Vitali nor Wladimir Klitschko.
This will be the first heavyweight title fight in America, in decades by way of the M.G.M. Grand Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, tonight on Saturday, January, 17, 2015.
W.B.C. Champ Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne, 24-1-1, 21 knockouts, will defend his title against ex-Olympian Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, 32-0, 32 k.o.’s.
What makes this fight additionally exciting is because Stiverne managed by Don King for years has remained almost under the radar of boxing popularity until his 2 fights with former heavyweight contender Chris “The Nightmare” Arreola, whom he defeated twice, once by knockout.
Bermane Stiverne, presently a Canadian citizen is the youngest of 14 children with an outstanding amateur boxing record of 49-10, winning a bronze and silver medal in International competition.
Stiverne turned pro in July 29, 2005, scoring 12 straight knockouts, and after a few more fights the hard hitting heavyweight k.o.’d Chris Arreola in the 6th round to win the W.B.C. Heavyweight Title that was vacated by the retirement of Vitali Klitschko, who decided to enter the political ring wars.
Stiverne who became the first Haitian born heavyweight champ in boxing history, lives in Canada, and sometimes trains in Floyd Mayweather’s gym, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On the other side of the ring for this match is young, brash, undefeated, 32-0, 32 knockouts, 6’7”, Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Wilder, a bronze medalist in the 2008 Beijing Olympics started boxing in 2005 after starring in Football as a Wide Receiver, in Basketball as a Power Forward, in Tuscaloosa Central High School. Wilder turned down a scholarship for Alabama University’s “Crimson Tide” due to the birth of his daughter, Neiya who suffered from a spinal condition that obligated him to go to local Shelton State Community College, and concentrate on boxing.
After an amateur fight record of only 35 fights Wilder made his pro debut in November 15, 2008 knocking out Ethan Cox in 1:43 seconds of the 1st round, and this hard hitting heavyweight has knocked out all of his opponents-32-up to the present time.
Deontay Wilder stated in his last press conference interview that he is confident that he will knock out Stiverne, win the title-W.B.C.-then travel to Europe and beat Wladimir Klitschko, and “bring all of the heavyweight titles back to America where they belong”.
Can a very aggressive Wilder accomplish that task?
Questioning Bermane Stiverne, a remarkable look-a-like and sound-a-like for the late soul singer Barry White, about Wilder’s remarks, he laughed heartily and stated, “talk is cheap, Deontay could say all he wants to but, come January 17th in that ring, it will be a different story.”
Stiverne stated further, “Wilder has had it easy for 32 fights, so we will know on Saturday how he will re-act when he gets hit by the heavyweight champ.”
Analyzing both comments you get the impression that this fight for heavyweight supremacy in the United States is really a “pick-em” fight.
Wilder has all of the credentials that impress people, 32 straight knockouts, but who has he really fought to put him to a test? Nobody!
Wilder has stated many times that he had sparred with the Klitschko brothers, but what does mean in terms of ring experience?
On the other hand Stiverne has gone the distance in many of his fights which is a true test of his stamina and ring experience, and he has scored 21 knockouts. Can Wilder go the distance if he has to? Another unanswered question.
Based on both credentials, I have to believe that Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne will take this young ring upstart Deontay Wilder into deep waters and if by the 10th round he does not knock him out, he will defeat him by a unanimous decision, retain his crown, and then he will be the one to fight Wladimir Klitschko, and bring all of the heavyweight crowns back to America.
This is a Don King and Golden Boy return to “Heavyweight Glory in America”, and it is about time.
Happy New Year.
