With the start of the new year comes more opportunities for dream fights to be made. As a starting point, we get to witness a heavyweight showdown that is sure to give boxing fans a kick.
Bermane Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 KOs) is set to defend his WBC heavyweight title against unbeaten Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) who up to now hasn’t been past four rounds in his professional career of six years.
The fight will be televised live on Showtime Championship Boxing. Many believe Wilder hasn’t faced credible opposition and that once he meets Stiverne in the ring he will be exposed and earn his first loss. Perhaps they are right, but it will be interesting to see how Wilder responds to true adversity, because that’s exactly what Stiverne will bring to him that night.
Wilder insists he is America’s next heavyweight champion and is very confident in dethroning Stiverne for the WBC title. On January 17 at the MGM in Las Vegas, Wilder will get a chance to prove to the boxing world that he’s got what it takes to become the next heavyweight champ. The problem is that Stiverne is not going to give up the title so easily.
In May of 2014, Stiverne won the strap by defeating Chris Arreola (35-4-0, 31 KOs) in six rounds. Arreola was the favorite to win that fight and many spectators were shocked to see Stiverne knock him down and ultimately out. Whether it goes the distance or not, the fight between Stiverne and Wilder is a guarantee for fireworks and knockdowns.
This fight should be interesting considering the height difference between the two combatants. Wilder stands at 6’6″, while Stiverne stands at 6’2″. Also, Wilder has a three inch reach advantage against Stiverne, something he must take advantage of along with the use of a strong jab in order to keep the fight at a distance.
Both fighters will need to be on their A-game coming into this fight in order to be successful. Even though Wilder has a few advantages over Stiverne, he needs to be careful and calculate every move just right. If he doesn’t, he risks getting caught with a powerful counter punch and everything could end in a split moment.
As we know, power is overwhelmingly present in the heavyweight division and Stiverne, like any other heavyweight, carries significant pop. Stiverne will need to start the fight off strong and try to overwhelm Wilder with his power. The champion will need to fight on the inside and catch Wilder with a good counter punch in hopes of ending the night.
The winner of this fight puts himself in line for a chance at undisputed champion, Wladimir Klitschko (63-3-0, 53 KOs).
Wilder is the favorite to win in this fight, but as we have seen so many times before, anything can happen in boxing. This fight includes everything needed for it to be an explosive night, and the fact that both fighters have quite a lot of power makes it exciting. What will happen once these two heavyweights meet inside the ring?
Fans will be watching worldwide as we get to see a preview of what’s to come in 2015 in the unexpected world of boxing. What a better way to start the year off then with an explosive battle of the heavyweights. After all, these are the kinds of fights the fans love and anticipate.
On January 17, the MGM will be roaring with excitement, and once the bell rings I’ll be on the edge of my seat.
