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Stiverne vs. Wilder
Teleconference Highlights
With one of the most potentially explosive, must-see
heavyweight matchups in recent history less than a month
away, hard-hitting WBC World Champion Bermane “B. Ware”
Stiverne and undefeated heavyweight contender Deontay “The
Bronze Bomber” Wilder participated in a media teleconference
call Thursday to discuss their eagerly anticipated
heavyweight world title fight on Saturday, Jan. 17 live on
SHOWTIME® at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT from the MGM Grand
Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The two heavyweights were
joined on the call by Hall of Fame boxing promoter Don King,
President of Don King Productions and Eric Gomez, Senior
Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions.
Stiverne-Wilder should be a gripping, intense encounter for
as long as it lasts. Neither boxer is a fan of the other
and, with a combined 54 knockouts in 58 fights, both
heavy-handed heavyweights expect to triumph by knockout.
Since suffering his lone loss in July 2007, Stiverne
(24-1-1, 21 KOs), training out of Las Vegas, Nev., has
emerged as one of the world’s most feared and destructive
heavyweights. In his last 13 starts, the first-ever
Haiti-born boxer to own a heavyweight crown is 12-0-1, with
10 of the victories coming inside the distance. Of his 21
knockouts, 18 came inside three rounds, with 14 of his
knockouts coming in the initial three minutes.
The 6-foot-7 Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs), of Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
hasn’t come close to putting in a full night’s work. He has
gone four full rounds just one time since turning pro in
November 2008, knocking out all of his opponents all within
the four-round range. The 2008 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist
and the last American male boxer to medal in The Olympics,
Wilder has fought a total of just 58 rounds, an average of
1.8 rounds per outing. He’s registered 18 knockouts in the
first round and eight in the second.
Here’s what both fighters as well as Don King, Senior Vice
President of Golden Boy Promotions, Eric Gomez, Executive
Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports, Stephen
Espinoza and manager Camille Estephan (Stiverne) had to say
Thursday:
BERMANE STIVERNE, WBC Heavyweight World Champion
“To be a role model to the kids & people in Haiti is all
motivation to me.
“He's fought nobody, I always train like I'm fighting the
best out there.
“As far as a game plan, all I can say is 'Don't Blink!'.
Watch the action on Jan 17. I can show you better than I can
tell you.
“The belt is great, it's meant a lot but I'm still hungry. I
still want more.
“Defending my title in Vegas at the MGM Grand is a dream.
Nobody will beat me. This belt isn't going anywhere. Jan. 17
is going to be a short night and it's going to be painful.”
DEONTAY WILDER, Undefeated Heavyweight Contender & Mandatory
Challenger
“I have a chance to shock the world and I just can’t wait
for it.
“I think this is the most anticipated heavyweight bout in a
long time, there's a lot of energy in my home city
[Tuscaloosa, Ala.].
“This is my time. This is me! I don't want to be compared to
other fighters. I want to build my own legacy.
“I'm not your average heavyweight I go to work all day,
every day as if it's my 9 to 5 job.
“I don't get paid for overtime so why go all the way, that's
why I finish things early in the ring.
“I don't want anyone to make excuses to me. I don't want
people to discredit me anymore. But the time has come to
change that.
“I have heard nothing but excuses for my 32 wins by KO and
when I get 33, I don't want to hear anything about it.
“I can't let my ultimate number one fan, my daughter, down
on Jan17. I'm going to fulfill my promise to her to be world
champ.
“I can't wait! I'm so passionate about this fight. I wish it
were tomorrow.
“I have no doubt at the end of this fight my hand will be
raised as the new heavyweight champion of the world.”
DON KING, President of Don King Promotions
“This program is a return to glory, an American return to
glory in the heavyweight division.
“The WBC Heavyweight champion, Bermane Stiverne versus
mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder is going to be a great
event and a fight for peace.
“This is a fight to bring boxing and the country back to
where it should be and being able to bring the glory back to
the heavyweight division, which has been lacking for quite a
while now.
“It has been about 10 years since there was a heavyweight
match here in America, so we are going to celebrate this at
the MGM Grand.
“I feel that Bermane will give Wilder a lesson after they
meet in their heavyweight fight for peace here at the MGM
Grand.
“This fight for peace symbolizes the essence of America’s
creed, freedom, justice, equality, liberty and peace, which
makes all Americans proud and extremely grateful. I’m
looking for bringing the heavyweight championship back to
America and we are doing that.
“We are bringing boxing back to the people, the people is
what it is all about.
“It's heavyweight time, it's America's time on January 17!
Tell the world!”
ERIC GOMEZ, Senior Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions
“Deontay Wilder finally gets his chance to fight for a world
title. He is the number one ranked contender.
“He has won all of his fights by knockout, and is probably
the most exciting American heavyweight boxer in the last 20
years.”
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager
SHOWTIME SPORTS
“It is an intriguing fight and the perfect way to kick off
the New Year on SHOWTIME. This fight has been rumored for
quite some time.
“The media demand is on par with a [Floyd] Mayweather fight.
The Heavyweights are definitely back.
“This is one of the most highly anticipated fights in the
U.S. in many years.
CAMILLE ESTEPHAN, Stiverne’s Manager
“I want to tell you what I believe. I do not like to put
things politically correct, (32-0, 32 KOs) against who? We
believe this [Deontay Wilder] is a choreographed career,
very well done. Good job. But I believe Wilder will quickly
realize that fighting at this level is a whole different
universe, but by then it will be too late for him. Bermane
will make a statement.
“Don’t blink guys, I really hope all the fans on this planet
get to realize who the new Mike Tyson is.
“We earned this, we paid our dues, we waited a long time, we
have been dodged by many for many years and blocked for many
years. The time has come for people to realize that the most
beautiful talent in boxing today is called Bermane Stiverne.
We will show you on Jan. 17.”
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