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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Stiverne Knows Perfectly
What To Expect From Klitschko
By Daniel Cloutier
MONTRÉAL - Bermane Stiverne is clearly impatient to know the
date and the place of his first participation to a world
championship. Stiverne will become soon the first fighter in
the history of Montréal to be involved in a heavyweight
world championship. He will face the WBC champion, the
Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko. Stiverne (23-1-1) got the
privilege to face Klitschko (45-2-0), because April 27th at
the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, California, he beat the
Californian Chris Arreola (35-3-0) by unanimous decision in
a WBC decisive elimination bout.
“I was more than confident to beat Arreola in April, and I
am more than confident to beat Vitali Klitschko next fall,”
said Stiverne, who met the medias Tuesday afternoon at the
Holiday Inn Hotel in Pointe-Claire in the west island of
Montréal. “I knew I could dominate Arreola with my speed and
a high number of
body shots, and the fact that I hurt him in the first rounds
of the bout helped me a lot to control the action in the
next nine rounds. It was the most significant win of my
career, but my next fight, obviously, will be a lot more
important. It will be my chance to be the first Montrealer
to become heavyweight champion of the world. To be involve
in a world championship it is a big achievement, and win a
world title is a real dream.”
Klitschko has been involved in 12 WBC world championship
bouts, and he won all them, seven by KO or TKO. Is he
untouchable? “Vitali Klitschko is a very respected world
champion, but I am sure to have the
weapons necessary to surprise him,” said Stiverne. “I am
younger than him (34, seven years less than Klitschko), and
I know I am faster than him. He has a very good jab and he
can punch, but I certainly can take his punches. How do I
know that? I got the chance to train with him in Austria few
years ago. I know exactly how he is fighting. In sparring
sessions, he has never been able to hurt me. I really
believe I am at my peak now, then, I will face him at the
perfect moment in my career. It would be absolutely
fantastic to win a major world title in my country, or in
Montréal or in Ottawa, but no matter where the fight will
be, I will be prepare to take the challenge. April 27th,
Arreola was fighting in his home town, he got the support of
his fans, and you know what's happened. I never had been
intimidated to be the visitor boxer.”
Stiverne knows that Klitschko will be established favorite
by the Las Vegas Sports Books. “No doubt in my mind that
Klitschko will be picked as the favourite, and it's
perfect,” said Stiverne. “I love so much to cause surprise
in major fights, like I did April 27th. I always got a good
performance when I was
established the underdog. This situation is pushing me to be
hungrier to win.”
The promoter Camille Estephan, the Stiverne's manager, hopes
to present the fight in Ottawa, the Canadian Capital. “The
administration of the Scotia Bank Arena in Ottawa is
extremely interested by an event of this amplitude,” said
Estephan. The WBC will hold a purse bid June 20th, and if we
win it, Ottawa will be seriously considered to present the
fight.” Don King is the Stiverne's promoter.
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