Wilder decisions Stiverne; Santa Cruz defeats Ruiz

01/18/201501/17/2015 Rob Smith

(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) Deontay Wilder (33-0, 32 KOs) kept his unbeaten record but he was extended for the first time in his career in having to go the distance to defeat WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (24-2-1, 21 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision in front of 8,300 boxing fans at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wilder, 6’7”, hurt Stiverne in the 2nd and 7th rounds with big right hand shots. However, he was unable to finish him off. Wilder was arguably robbed of a knockdown in the 2nd when he staggered Stiverne with a right hand, causing him to stumble and fall.

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Don King wants to match Stiverne with Tyson Fury if he gets past Wilder

01/17/2015 Bill Phanco

If WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne gets past the formidable Deontay Wilder tonight in their fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Stiverne’s promoter Don King is reportedly interested in matching the 36-year-old Stiverne up with unbeaten heavyweight contender Tyson Fury in a fight that could take place in the UK if Fury accepts the fight.

There are obviously a lot of ifs involved, because it would require not only a win by Stiverne tonight, and he’s no lock to beat Deontay, but it would also require for Fury to choose not to face heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

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Stiverne: Wilder won’t make it past the 6th round

01/17/2015 T.Baker

(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) Tonight’s fight between WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) and his hard-hitting challenger Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) will be a short one, according to Stiverne. The 36-year-old Stiverne expects to get the inexperienced Wilder out of there by the 6th round by knocking him out in a painful fashion.

Stiverne notes that Deontay has positives in his game such as his power and height, but he feels that he’s not ready to step up so quickly at this juncture in his career.

“I think he’s [Wilder] a fraud. I don’t think he deserves to be fighting for the title and that’s why not with it,” Stiverne said via Fightnews.com. “But what is worse is that he is not even ready to fight at this level. I would be surprised if this fight goes more than 5 or 6 rounds.”

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Bermane Stiverne: You will never ever hear about Deontay Wilder after this fight

01/16/2015 Jeff Sorby

(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) If everything goes right for WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) he’ll be putting an end to the Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) hype and sending him off into obscurity after giving him an embarrassing thrashing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Stiverne figures that if he knocks the 6’7” Deontay Wilder in shocking fashion, Deontay will be forgotten by boxing fans after this fight and written off as a serious heavyweight contender. As it is, Deontay has been compared frequently with 6’7” American heavyweight Michael Grant, who started off his career with a near identical record of 31-0.

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Deontay Wilder: The fans can’t fight for you, Stiverne

01/16/2015 Jeff Sorby

(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) Heavyweight Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) thinks that WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) has gained confidence from the support from the boxing fans who are pulling for to beat the tall 6’7” American this Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Deontay doesn’t care what the fans are saying, because he feels he’s going to expose the 6’2” Haitian heavyweight as a mediocre heavyweight when he blasts him out in front of the MGM Grand crowd.

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Deontay Wilder interested in facing Tyson Fury after Stiverne fight

01/16/201501/16/2015 Bill Phanco

(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) hasn’t yet finished his business with WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) for this Saturday night, but already Deontay is looking past the fight towards a showdown with Britain’s Tyson Fury. Deontay is up for the clash with Fury if he can’t get a bout against IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko.

That’s the fight that Deontay really wants, but he’d settle for a fight against Fury. However, the one problem with that is Fury is the WBO mandatory challenger for Klitschko, and it’s unlikely he’ll take a fight against Deontay before he gets the Klitschko fight. It’s too dangerous, and Fury won’t want to take the chance that he gets whipped by Deontay before he gets his payday fight against Wladimir.

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Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder Final Press Conference Quotes, Videos, Photos

01/16/201501/15/2015 Showtime Boxing

There is no love lost between WBC Heavyweight World Champion Bermane “B. Ware” Stiverne and unbeaten No. 1 contender Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, who didn’t mince words while participating in often tense, trash-talking-filled volatile final press conference Thursday for the “Return to Glory: Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder” fight card taking place this Saturday, Jan. 17, live on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The hard-hitting Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs), of Las Vegas, defends his title against the unbeaten knockout specialist Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala.,- in two days, but if they had their way they’d fight tonight.

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Wilder vs. Stiverne interview transcript

01/15/201501/14/2015 Showtime Boxing

DON KING: I would like to say first that Amir Imam will be on the card also. He is a super-sensational fighter and we are looking forward to seeing him. This program is “Return to Glory” America’s return to glory in the heavyweight division. The WBC champion Bermane Stiverne against the mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder. It is something that is going to be a great event but it is a fight for Peace. Then with the Bombs Away is an addition to. This is going to bring boxing back to where it should be and get the country back to where it should be – being able to bring the glory back to the heavyweight division, which has been lacking for quite a while now. We are going to celebrate this at the MGM Grand with a salute to Kirk Kerkorian, the founder of bringing the MGM and all the rest of the then in Las Vegas and making it the boxing capital of the world. I am very excited about this and I know you’ll be too. It is going to be a super-sensational card and a lovely night at the MGM Grand and the lion shall roar. We are very happy to be able to present this to you. Keep in mind this is a fight to unify – unify, solidarity and togetherness and you are going to have a peoples’ champion – a guy that’s name is Bermane, who reminds me of Mike Tyson the awesome devastating puncher, meeting another puncher named Deontay Wilder. I am very happy to be able to address you about it and look forward to seeing you at the fight.

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Interview: ESB catches up with Bermane Stiverne sparring partner Izu Ugonoh

01/14/2015 Bryce Wilson

This Saturday at the MGM, Las Vegas finds boxing in an unusual place that it hasn’t occupied in quite some time, a heavyweight title fight that has the fans talking and polarizing opinion.

Practically every man and his dog has had a crack at calling the outcome for this fight so we thought we’d get some feedback from someone close to the action, undefeated Polish heavyweight Izu Ugonoh (10-0, 8KO’s.) Izu has served as one of Bermane Stiverne’s chief sparring partners for this fight and ESB took the opportunity to ask him how the camp has gone for Bermane and who he thinks will win the fight and why.

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Deontay Wilder: Stiverne has never fought anyone with my athletic skills

01/13/2015 Jeff Sorby

6’7” American heavyweight contender Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) figures that his athletic skills will be too much for the 36-year-old Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) in their fight this Saturday on 1/17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wilder intends on showing an athletic side to his game that he feels that the short, and slightly pudgy looking Stiverne has never seen before in his 10-year pro career.

Deontay wants to get in quickly, nail Stiverne with a big right hand to knock him out, and then get out of there so that he can move on to bigger and better things in his career like a fight against IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko. That’s where Wilder will begin to start making the big money.

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