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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Wilder Established Favorite
By Daniel Cloutier
LAS VEGAS — In spite of the fact he has never been involved
in a world championship bouts or an elimination bout, and he
has never fought more than four rounds in his pro bouts,
Deontay Wilder is established as favorite to win Saturday
evening in the ring of the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
The Las Vegas bookies picked him to win by a margin of 2-1.
Obviously, the bookies are considering his impressive
record: 32 fights, 32 wins by KO or TKO all in less than
four rounds. And they are considering also probably also his
exceptional height (6’7’’) and power.
Wilder will try to dethrone the Montrealer Bermane Stiverne
(24-1-1) as new WBC heavyweight champion of the world. For
Stiverne, it will be the first defence of his title.
However, Stiverne has clearly more experience than Wilder in
significant fights. He won a WBC heavyweight championship of
the world last May, and has been involved in two WBC
elimination bouts. Wilder has never disputed a fight of this
magnitude. Its probably why the odds are so closed.
RAMIREZ PICKS STIVERNE
Henry Ramirez, the Chris Arreola’s trainer, believes that
Stiverne will keep this WBC crown Saturday evening, “I
strongly believe that Bermane will beat Wilder, said
Ramirez. He has a solid chin, he is good puncher and is more
versatile that Wilder as boxer. And if Bermane achieves what
I think he gonna do Saturday, he will probably face Wladimir
Klitschko in an unification heavyweight titles later this
year, and I really like the Stiverne’s chances to become
unify champion.”
Stiverne became the successor of Vitali Klitschko (the
Wladimir’s brother) as WBC heavyweight champion of the world
May 10th at the USC Galen Centre in Los Angeles, in beating
the Californian Chris Arreola (35-4-0) by TKO in the sixth
round. It was the second time in a span of a year that
Stiverne was beating Arreola. The first time it was in a WBC
elimination fight (unanimous decision in that bout).
Wladimir Klitschko (63-3-0) is the actual WBO, WBA and IBF
champion of the world, and he won his last 19 world
championship fights. He mentioned to Europeans boxing
writers that he likes the idea to face the winner of
Stiverne-Wilder to get all the major titles of the division.
He is dreaming, apparently, to take his retirement in 2015
with the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF in his possession. He will be
39 years old in March.
DOUGLAS, HOLYFIELD AND BREWSTER BEHIND WILDER
Three former heavyweight champions of the world, Evander
Holyfield, Buster Douglas and Lamon Brewster, all believe
that Wilder will become in few days the new WBC heavyweight
champion of the world.
And Douglas and Brewster don’t hide the fact they really
hope to see Wilder beats Stiverne.
Douglas is the former boxer who caused the surprise of the
year in 1990 when he dethroned Mike Tyson as WBC, WBA and
IBF champion of the world. “The heavyweight division was
dominated by the Americans when I was fighting, and for the
previous decades, but the Europeans are masters of the
division since 10 years, said Douglas. It’s about time that
an American wins a major heavyweight world title. Wilder
will have this chance Saturday, then, I will certainly root
for him.”
Douglas became the first fighter to beat Tyson February 11th
1990 in Japan. Tyson, who showed up in Tokyo with a perfect
record of 37-0-0, lost the bout by KO in the 10th round.
Tyson, who ended his career in 2005 with a record of 50-6-0,
won 11 world championship bouts (11-4-0) during his 20 years
of action in pro boxing.
Holyfield, who beat twice Tyson in 1996 and 1997 in world
championship fights, is predicting a spectacular fight
Saturday, but he is giving an advantage to Wilder. "Yes, I
am expecting an intense and spectacular fight, but I give
definitively an advantage to Wilder, who has very fast hands
for a boxer of that stature, said Holyfield. And he is an
exceptional puncher. I really believe that nobody can beat
him actually.”
In the ringside Saturday, Brewster will do the same thing
than Buster Douglas: root for Wilder. “I know personally
Deontay, then, I really hope he will become the next
American to win a heavyweight championship of the world. I
will definitively support him Saturday.”
Shannon Briggs (57-6-1), who was WBO champion of the world
in 2006, is the last American who detained a heavyweight
world title.
FURY: A SHORT OR A LONG BOUT?
British and European heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury
(23-0-0) is impatient to see Stiverne and Wilder in action.
“If the fight is short, Wilder will certainly be the winner,
said Fury. However, if the bout reaches the second half
(seventh round), Stiverne will definitively be the winner.
Power is a great weapon for Wilder in the first three or
four rounds, but the technique and the strategy will play
for Stiverne if we have a long bout.”
Ranked first contender by the WBO, second by the IBF, fourth
by the WBA and fifth by the WBC, Fury will dispute his next
bout in home, in London, England, February 28th, against the
Romanian Christian Hammer (17-3-0). It will be a WBO
international championship.
STIVERNE AND WILDER PUBLIC TRAINING SESSION
Stiverne and Wilder will take part to short public sessions
in the MGM Grand lobby Tuesday and Wednesday, and the final
press conference of the event will be hold at the David
Copperfield Theater Thursday at 1:00 PM, with the promoters
Don King and Oscar De La Hoya, the boxers, their trainers
and managers. King is the Stiverne’s promoter, and Wilder is
associated to Golden Boy Promotions leaded by De La Hoya.
And probably more than 400 journalists and TV and radio
technicians.
FIGHT CRUZ-RUIZ
Showtime will televise the two main bouts Saturday evening
at MGM Grand. Just before the main event, the match up
Stiverne-Wilder, the Mexicans Leo Santa Cruz (28-0-1) and
Jesus Ruiz (33-5-5) will fight in a WBC super bantamweight
world championship.
Cruz did a third successful defence of his WBC title
September 13th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, in beating the
Mexican Manuel Roman (17-3-3) by TKO in the second round.
Ruiz won his last five bouts.
“I need to take care of Ruiz now, but when it will be done,
I want to face the biggest names of the super bantamweight
and featherweight divisions, said Cruz. I will fight in the
semi-final of the show Saturday, but I am sure I will be
part of the main event in next fights. I am sure that I will
dispute more and more significant bouts.”
When we asked him his prediction for the main event
Saturday, he said: "I think Wilder will become the new WBC
heavyweight champion of the world. He his younger than
Stiverne, and he is a very explosive puncher. I think Wilder
will get out of the ring with his 33rd wins by KO in his
pocket".
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