THIS past week the heavyweight division changed hands when brutal American Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder dethroned Bermane Stiverne (27-24, KO 21- 2-1 to become World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion via a unanimous points decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Nevada.
This development has brought great joy to the American fans who have been yearning for their kindred to be champ because it’s been some time since an American boxer laid claim to any of the main four heavyweight belts.
The last time, in fact, was June 2007 when the holder Shannon Briggs lost the WBO title to the Russian southpaw Sultan Ibragimov. The world heavyweight title used to be an American preserve.
Haitian-born Canadian Stiverne was making his first defence of the then title he won by stopping in emphatic style granite -chinned Mexican-American Chris “The Nightmare” Arreora, 41- 36, (KO 31) – 4, via a sixth round technical knockout.
The WBC title was vacated by Vitali Klitschko who decided to pursue politics in his native Ukraine in 2013.
Wilder-Stiverne went against all expectations; the script predicted a short fight of no more than four rounds (in favour of Wilder who had previously stopped all his opponents inside four rounds).
But thanks to Stiverne’s incredible endurance and resilience which saw him finish the 12 rounds after eating stiff jabs and brutal right hands from the 6’7” American all night long.
I say the Americans are happy because the heavyweight division has been dominated by the Klitschko brothers Vitali and Wladmir over the last couple of years.
Russian, Oleg Maskaev, relieved Hasim Rahman of the WBC heavyweight title in August 2006, four months after Wladimir beat Chris Byrd to take the IBF title which he still holds, along with the WBA and WBO versions now.
The last American to hold the WBA title was John Ruiz, although this one is slightly complicated: Ruiz lost to another American, James Toney, in April 2005, but Toney was subsequently disqualified after failing a drugs test. Ruiz lost the next WBA title fight too, to the giant Russian Nikolay Valuev.
Wilder was the mandatory challenger to Stiverne and in prefight remarks he always asserted that he was looking past the Haitian saying he does most things better in the ring than the former champion.
Three years ago, in a piece titled “Who Will Beat The Klitschkos?” published in this column, I raised the perennial question on the continuous talk about the heavyweight division which has been bereft of real talent and the cry has been that someone, from somewhere, must come and clean up the division because the two Klitschkos who have dominated it in recent years do not offer the kind of fights fans long for – exciting and thrilling.
Well, this question is cropping up again following Wilder’s victory over Stiverne. Is Wilder going to dominate this division for some time to come?
Put differently, going by his performance against Stiverne last week, is Wilder the one to clean up the heavyweight division by unifying the titles ?
That would entail beating Wladmir or Vitali who, when he vated the title, the WBC named him its “champion emeritus,” meaning If Klitschko, 44, decided to fight again, he would have the opportunity to fight for the title.
Although beaten, Stiverne, the first boxer of Haitian descent to become a heavyweight champion brought excitement to the division with his style and it wouldn’t exactly be asking too much to see him in a rematch with Wilder anytime soon.
But the fight most fans might relish immediately would be an intriguing title unification clash between the boring Wladmir and Wilder for the WBA, IBF, WBO and WBC heavyweight titles.
mwale.simon@yahoo.co.uk / 0966 755 574/0953744074