Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder: Preview, Prediction for Heavyweight Clash
Saturday night in Las Vegas, Bermane Stiverne defends his WBC heavyweight title against undefeated knockout machine Deontay Wilder. It's been 32 up and 32 down for Wilder in his career so far, and nobody has escaped the fourth round against him.
But Wilder has never faced an opponent as dangerous as Stiverne. He is an experienced boxer with explosive power of his own.
There hasn't been a heavyweight bout this big in the United States in years. Two big men with dangerous punching power will get together in the world's fight capital this weekend.
Tale of the Tape
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| Per Boxrec | Bermane Stiverne | Deontay Wilder |
| Record: | 24-1-1, 21 KOs | 32-0, 32 KOs |
| Height: | 6'2" | 6'6.5" |
| Reach: | 80" | 83" |
| Weight: | About 240 lbs | About 225 lbs |
| Age: | 36 | 29 |
| Stance: | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Hometown: | Las Vegas, Nevada | Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| Rounds: | 85 | 58 |
The physical differences between Stiverne and Wilder make for an intriguing class of styles. Wilder is the classic, lanky power puncher. The heavier-set Stiverne is an explosive, athletic boxer.
A resident of Las Vegas now, Stiverne is the first Haitian-born fighter to win a share of the heavyweight crown.
Main Storyline
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Anytime a heavyweight starts his career with 32 straight knockouts, it's going to create major buzz. American boxing fans have hungered for a heavyweight star for years, and as Deontay Wilder has mowed down one opponent after another, the excitement around him has built.
Although Wilder has looked sensational, the quality of his opposition has been unimpressive. After winning a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics, he turned professional, but he's been developed with extreme caution.
There's no question that Wilder's power is for real. But there is also no question that he has never faced a boxer with the experience and power of Bermane Stiverne.
Stiverne shot to prominence in April 2013, when he hammered tough, veteran contender Chris Arreola, smashing his nose en route to a unanimous-decision win that earned him No. 1 contender status with the WBC.
When WBC champion Vitali Klitschko retired in December 2013, the WBC set up a rematch between Stiverne and Arreola for the vacant belt. In May, Stiverne stopped Arreola in six to become the first-ever heavyweight champion of Haitian descent.
Either man in this fight has the power to knock the other one out cold. They've both vowed to do so. Expect fireworks in the Nevada desert this Saturday night.
Strengths
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Bermane Stiverne is an explosive athlete with solid boxing skills. He has quick hands and throws heavy punches with both fists, from surprising angles. He is an excellent counter puncher.
Stiverne is durable. He had some tough rounds against Chris Arreola in their rematch but hung in and stayed true to his game plan, which allowed him to win the title by Round 6 TKO.
Deontay Wilder is a classic power puncher. He's tall and lanky and uses that length to generate devastating punching power. He looks something like a heavyweight version of his trainer, Mark Breland, who was a world champion at welterweight in the 1980s.
Wilder is riding an incredible wave of momentum. That should help him start quickly, and when a puncher like him gets off to a quick start, it can make for a short fight.
Weaknesses
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Bermane Stiverne likes to fight off the ropes, and that could make for a dangerous strategy against a devastating puncher. Stiverne got buzzed by shots from Chris Arreola when he hung out on the ropes, and he's facing a bigger puncher in this fight.
I don't like the way Stiverne tends to hold his left hand low. He leaves a big hole for the straight right hand down the middle.
Deontay Wilder has been fattening his record on low-level competition, and a fighter who does that can be in for a rude awakening when he finally steps up in competition. Wilder has never had to fight beyond Round 4.
At nearly 6'7" tall and only about 225 pounds, Wilder is slender for a heavyweight fighter. He's built a lot more like an NBA swingman than a heavyweight boxer. I am curious to see how his thin torso and legs will stand up to a bruising puncher like Stiverne.
Bermane Stiverne Will Win If...
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Bermane Stiverne should look to be patient in the early rounds of this fight, as he was against Chris Arreola, when he won the title last May. He wants to extend Deontay Wilder to the unfamiliar territory of the middle rounds of the fight and then start to put on the pressure.
But he has to stay off the ropes and use movement to set up his counterpunches. He also has to be the better ring general and control distance. He needs to be outside of Wilder's range or inside of it.
That means passing through the dangerous area where Wilder can catch him with one of those brutal straight rights. Wilder is going to come forward and let his hands go, so the key for Wilder will be to lower his level and slip under his opponent's reach.
Stiverne should look to mix in a body attack in the early going. Wilder does not look like he's built to take a lot of heavy shots to the torso.
When Stiverne manages to work his way inside, he has to get off quickly and then move out at a different angle. He has to force Wilder to pivot and reset, making it tough for him to get comfortable and let the big punches go.
Deontay Wilder Will Win If...
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In the simplest terms, Deontay Wilder will win if he can connect against Stiverne with a few solid punches. Wilder's power is for real, and if he can unload with it successfully, Stiverne will go down.
If he can establish a stiff jab and dictate the pace of the fight, he can make things dangerous for the champion. Wilder's three-inch advantage in reach means he can hit Stiverne before the Haitian is close enough to hit him.
So Wilder really needs to get off first with his own offense. He should look to end the fight quickly with a left hook/straight right combination.
But he had better be prepared for more of a grind than he's had to face before. He had also better be ready to mix it up on the inside, which he hasn't had to do much so far in his career. He'll to need to have some uppercuts and looping overhands ready to go.
Wilder should look to win this fight the same way he's won his last 32—via quick, overpowering stoppage. But he's facing a much better opponent than he's ever seen before, so he better be set to make adjustments and show some defensive wrinkles he hasn't needed so far.
Prediction
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One prediction seems pretty safe in regard to this fight: It isn't going to make it to the final bell. At a glance, it seems inevitable that this fight will end in a knockout.
That might not be the case, however. Wilder might get a taste of Stiverne's power and start using the clinch-and-lean strategy we saw Wladimir Klitschko employ against Alexander Povetkin. Fans could end up watching a disappointing hugfest after expecting a heavyweight slugfest.
But the slugfest is more likely. For one thing, Wilder lacks the strength to keep Stiverne wrapped up in a clinch.
It won't be a shock if either man wins by KO, in any round from the first on. I hate to make a prediction for any fight where both men have such a strong chance of knocking the other out.
But Stiverne is the smarter pick. He's more physically powerful and far more battle-tested. I predict he will bruise Wilder up in the early rounds, rattling the challenger's confidence.
In the middle rounds, he will take Wilder apart and stop him by TKO. My guess is in Round 5 or 6.
Hopefully, that will set the table for a unification bout between Stiverne and Wladimir Klitschko, who holds the rest of the championship straps at heavyweight. I would not favor Stiverne in that fight at all.
But it would make for a major fight in Las Vegas and be terrific for the sport.
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