Deontay Wilder Must Defeat Bermane Stiverne to Re-Energize Heavyweight Division

Heavyweight boxing has been on the decline since the likes of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield faded away, but Deontay Wilder has a chance to reverse that trend Saturday night.

The 29-year-old native of Alabama known as The Bronze Bomber has steadily climbed the ladder since turning pro in 2008. He has a perfect record of 32-0, and a win over Canada's Bermane Stiverne Saturday will make him the WBC heavyweight champion.

Stiverne is solid at 24-1-1, but he isn't likely to become the face of the heavyweight division at 36 years of age. Wilder has that type of potential, though, which is why the sport of boxing will benefit if he comes out on top.

Americans have long dominated heavyweight boxing, but that hasn't been the case for quite some time. Boxer Eddie Chambers is hopeful that Wilder will change that:

Wilder is a true blue chipper in every sense of the term. He was a 2008 Olympian, and all 32 of his victories have come by way of knockout. Although there aren't a ton of other similarities between them, Wilder's dominance has been reminiscent of Tyson's.

None of his professional fights have lasted beyond four rounds, and Wilder's comments leading up to the fight suggest that he doesn't intend for Saturday's bout to be a particularly long one either:

Wilder also made it clear that he believes his opponent will be overmatched when they step into the ring at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena, according to ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

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When I do the unexpected, I don't want you all to degrade this man, Stiverne. I don't want you to call him another bum or make excuses for my victory. Stick by your word. Let this be a test for me and watch me pass my test. I guarantee I will do it.

I know everyone has been speaking for you, Bermane, but they can't fight for you. They can only make it worse for you. They have made it worse for you.

You don't understand what type of man you're about to get in the ring with. You don't understand what you got yourself into. You've only been champion for a short period of time but you walk around like it's been a long time. You're only a tourist to that belt.

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Truth be told, Wilder possesses every quality a potential boxing star needs. The excitement factor is through the roof since the expectation is always that he will knock someone out. In addition to that, he brings the bravado and charisma that most American heavyweights have lacked over the past decade.

Wilder also has the size and build to compete with many of the world's best heavyweights, as evidenced by this tale of the tape from BoxNation:

The heavyweight division has been dominated by big, plodding European boxers in recent years. That is a big reason why the weight class has reached rock bottom in the United States especially.

Wladimir Klitschko is currently the WBO, IBF and The Ring heavyweight champ. He hasn't lost a fight since 2004, and nobody has come particularly close to beating him.

It is difficult to say if Wilder has a real chance to take him down, but one can only assume that he'd be in line for a shot at him if he can beat Stiverne.

American boxing fans have been longing to see a countryman rise up in the heavyweight division and pose a true threat to Klitschko.

Wilder is the closest thing to that in a very long time, which is why the sport of boxing desperately needs him to prevail Saturday.

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