Bermane Stiverne: Deontay Wilder & Wladimir Klitschko: The Heavyweight Division is Alive and Well – Boxing News

By Geno McGahee

Last Saturday night, the heavyweight division came to life with the knockout of durable and popular heavyweight Chris Arreola by the new WBC champion, Bermane Stiverne. Stiverne brought a mixture of grit, power and ring smarts that were enough to handle the incoming shots while administering great power of his own. By the sixth round, Stiverne had found the mark and took home the title once owned by Vitali Klitschko.

The Stiverne-Arreola fight was a rematch that Stiverne was not expected to win. He was a 5-1 underdog. Overcoming the odds to bring home the victory, Stiverne etched his name in heavyweight history and now has two options ahead of him.

The Bronze Medalist and knockout puncher, Deontay Wilder, is believed to be next on the chopping block, but the prize is current recognized heavyweight king, Wladimir Klitschko who has ruled boxing and that division since 2004. He is going to be a difficult man to beat, but Stiverne and Wilder both present the first true challenges since his defense against David Haye.

The heavyweight division has had a rough run with the long run of Lennox Lewis and the Klitschko rule, but there is hope for some exciting and competitive fights on the horizon. Stay tuned…