Bermane Stiverne vs. Deontay Wilder: Winner, Scorecard and Reaction

On Saturday night, Deontay Wilder (33-0) was more Larry Holmes than George Foreman, but in the end, he remained undefeated and won his first world title. He earned a unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne (24-2-1) and took the Haitian's WBC heavyweight title.

The victory made Wilder the first American-born heavyweight champion since Shannon Briggs won the WBO crown in 2006.

If you predicted this bout would go the distance, I hope you also played Powerball on Saturday night. The two men came in with a combined 53 knockouts in 58 bouts. A violent finish seemed like a sure thing. In reality, it wasn't in the cards.

On the strength of a steady and heavy jab that set up some titanic right hands, Wilder controlled the entire fight. He had won his 32 previous professional fights via KO, but he proved many of his critics wrong with a controlled victory on points. Here are the official scores, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael:

There were doubts about his chin, stamina and poise. Wilder answered all of those questions. This quote captured by Rafael proved Wilder was aware of the chatter from critics:

Stiverne landed some solid shots, but Wilder took them like a champ. Wilder may have tired late in the bout, but he was never completely gassed as some might have expected.

Former world champion Sergio Mora noticed Wilder sticking to his technique late in the bout:

He also never seemed to be panicked or overwhelmed by the moment. Stiverne tried to pressure him, but Wilder stayed balanced and controlled. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden lauded Wilder's patience:

"

People were afraid Wilder might be too amped up and go after Stiverne recklessly. So far he's content to work the jab. Patient.

— Jonathan Snowden (@mmaencyclopedia) January 18, 2015"

The bout didn't end with a KO, but there were some close calls. Wilder hurt Stiverne in the second, seventh and ninth rounds. In the second, Wilder nearly dropped Stiverne with a nasty one-two combination. Stiverne went back to his days as a Michigan State Spartan to avoid more punishment.

MoneyRon has the Vine:

Here's a shot of Wilder landing one of his sledgehammer right hands via Boxing-Hype.com on Twitter:

"

Round 9 now #StiverneWilder pic.twitter.com/FINqQxOpi3

— Boxing-Hype.com (@BoxingHype) January 18, 2015"

He couldn't finish off the tough Haitian, who has still never been down in his career. The 36-year-old Stiverne showed some of the defensive lapses that had been partially exposed in the past, but Wilder's 6'7" height and power made them insurmountable.

Stiverne's career isn't on the rocks, but there isn't much value in being the first man to go the distance with a guy who just took your title.

Even though Wilder's KO streak is now broken, winning by decision may have been even more impressive. Everyone knows he has the power to move any heavyweight. On Saturday night, we learned he has more skills than he was previously given credit for. 

We were used to acknowledging his brute strength, but now we must recognize the fact that he knows how to box, use his length and stick to a game plan.

Now that he has a world title, it's only a matter of time before Wilder will be in position to challenge Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF, WBA, IBO and WBO heavyweight titles. Wilder has quenched the thirst for an American heavyweight champion, but the undisputed title still belongs to Klitschko.

What's next for the sport's newest world champion?

John Locher/Associated Press

The 29-year-old could look to take on a fighter such as Tyson Fury in his next bout, but from a compensation standpoint, that bout wouldn't be on par with a scrap against Klitschko.

Taking a fight with a lesser-known contender could pad Wilder's record, giving him a successful title defense and another opportunity to look dynamic.

No matter what path he takes toward the next step to stardom, Wilder's title-winning performance has him closer to becoming a household name and a wealthy man.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.