By Chris Williams: WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) took care of the flabby and out of shape former world champion Bermane “B-Ware” Stiverne (25-3-1, 21 KOs) in stopping him in the 1st round after knocking him down 3 times on Saturday night in their rematch at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
(Photo credit: Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment)
Wilder knocked the 39-year-old Stiverne 3 times in the 1st round before the fight was finally halted. The official time of the stoppage by referee Arthur Mercante Jr. was 2:59 of round 1. The referee half wrestled Wilder to get him to back off after knocking Stiverne down for the third time. I don’t know what Mercante thought Wilder was going to do. It seemed unnecessary for Mercante to grab Wilder after he’s already knocked Stiverne down.
The third knockdown was brutal. Stiverne took a big right hand that had him defenseless against the ropes. Wilder then followed up with a crushing left hook to the head while Stiverne was defenseless. Stiverene was already going down when he was hit with that shot. The punch knocked Stiverne senseless.
At the start of the round, the 32-year-old Wilder came forward and landed a booming right hand that put Stiverne down on the seat of his pants. Stiverne almost didn’t make it up. Wilder went up to him when the action resumed and tagged Stiverne with another big right to the head to put him down for a second time in the round. This time, Stiverne looked like he didn’t want to get up, but he did anyway. Wilder then opened up with one his big windmill right hands that flattened Stiverne. The referee Mercante then stopped the fight.
Stiverne never recovered from the first knockdown. The rocket of a right hand that put him down on the seat of his pants took a lot out of Stiverne. When he got back up from that knockdown, he was still very hurt with the way he had problems steadying himself when the referee directed him to come forward.
Wilder didn’t end Stiverne’s life like he’d talked about wanting to do, but it was still very impressive what he did. Stiverne looked so badly out of shape in coming into the ring at 254 pounds. It was too much weight for Stiverne to be carrying at his age. After the third knockdown, Stiverne tried to gt up but he fell down face first on the canvas. He was badly hurt.
