Bermane Stiverne to Replace Luis Ortiz in Deontay Wilder WBC Heavyweight Fight

Bermane Stiverne will step in to fight WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on November 4.

Wilder was set to face Luis Ortiz in the contest, though the latter tested positive for a banned substance recently, prompting suggestions the title fight was going to be called off. However, as relayed by BoxingNewsAndViews.com, the WBC have confirmed Stiverne will take the place of Ortiz.

The contest will be a rematch of their 2015 showdown for the same championship, which Wilder won by a wide decision. 

Stiverne was set to be fighting on the undercard of the Wilder-Ortiz bill anyway, as he was lined up to take on Dominic Breazeale. The Canadian was already the mandatory challenger for Wilder's WBC belt.

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The fight is unlikely to quell the disappointment many felt at Wilder-Ortiz being cancelled, as the veteran Cuban was poised to give the title holder the biggest test of his professional career so far.

While Wilder has won all of his 38 fights—37 have come inside the scheduled distance—the standard of opponent he has faced has frequently been questioned. Ortiz, a wily 38-year-old with a perfect 27-fight record, would have been tough for Wilder to breeze by.

Though Stiverne is the only fighter who's gone the distance with Wilder, the prospect of a rematch is unlikely to get pulses racing.

The FightNights.com Twitter account had its say:

Meanwhile, Laceupboxing was confused as to how Stiverne was the mandatory challenger for the title after a spell of inactivity:

Indeed, by the time fight night does come around, Stiverne will be closing in on two years outside of the ring. And given the Canadian couldn't get close to Wilder in 2015 when he was a world champion, it'd be no surprise here if the chasm between the two fighters had widened.

Wilder should have few issues getting the job done and adding to his excellent record. Though victory will do little to dispel those suggestions that he has yet to face a genuine world-class opponent in his career.