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by David P. Greisman - Bermane Stiverne knew who the true heavyweight champion is.
He recognized that Wladimir Klitschko has long stood atop the division, an athletic, intelligent and powerful 6-foot-6 tactician who is 62-3 with 52 knockouts, who has not lost for nearly a decade, who has won 20 fights in a row and made 16 consecutive title defenses during a reign that has lasted nearly as long as Stiverne has been a pro boxer.
He knew that the belt he was fighting for had once belonged to another man, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir’s older brother, that the belt had been vacated when Vitali retired to focus on politics in Ukraine. He knew that he would not be taking the title from its previous owner, but rather could win it by defeating an opponent he’d already beaten about a year before.
None of this took away from the moment. None of that took away from its meaning.
Stiverne had just scored a sixth-round technical knockout over Chris Arreola, and the moment the fight ended meant his time as a heavyweight titleholder had just begun. He marched jubilantly around the ring, his arms reaching out to his sides. He jumped and strutted, then went down to his knees before lying flat, face down on the mat for nearly half a minute, either overcome with emotion or merely finding a spot to let everything sink in before everyone else poured into the ring. Soon he rose and hugged Arreola, their embrace longer and warmer than the ceremonial showing of sportsmanship typically seen after a fight. [Click Here To Read More]
He recognized that Wladimir Klitschko has long stood atop the division, an athletic, intelligent and powerful 6-foot-6 tactician who is 62-3 with 52 knockouts, who has not lost for nearly a decade, who has won 20 fights in a row and made 16 consecutive title defenses during a reign that has lasted nearly as long as Stiverne has been a pro boxer.
He knew that the belt he was fighting for had once belonged to another man, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir’s older brother, that the belt had been vacated when Vitali retired to focus on politics in Ukraine. He knew that he would not be taking the title from its previous owner, but rather could win it by defeating an opponent he’d already beaten about a year before.
None of this took away from the moment. None of that took away from its meaning.
Stiverne had just scored a sixth-round technical knockout over Chris Arreola, and the moment the fight ended meant his time as a heavyweight titleholder had just begun. He marched jubilantly around the ring, his arms reaching out to his sides. He jumped and strutted, then went down to his knees before lying flat, face down on the mat for nearly half a minute, either overcome with emotion or merely finding a spot to let everything sink in before everyone else poured into the ring. Soon he rose and hugged Arreola, their embrace longer and warmer than the ceremonial showing of sportsmanship typically seen after a fight. [Click Here To Read More]
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