The WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the boxing ring, but he seemed to be in a particularly savage mood on Saturday night when he knocked Bermane Stiverne out in a fight that lasted 2 minutes and 59 seconds.
Wilder (39-0 with 38 KOs) won the WBC title from Stiverne back in January 2015 in his only fight that actually went the distance. And going into Saturday’s fight, he’d defended his title five times since then. Stiverne, on the other hand, had only fought once since that title fight. The blatantly uneven match took place because Wilder’s initial opponent, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz, tested positive for two banned substances last month, resulting in Stiverne’s move from the undercard to the main event. This is the second time Wilder’s been robbed of a fight thanks to an opponent failing a drug test. The change in opponent upset Wilder, and he promised a knockout at the pre-fight press conference last Thursday.
“The ambulance better be ready. The medical teams better be ready. The referee better be ready. They better have that towel to be able to throw it in because every blow is going to mean something,” Wilder said, according to ESPN. “The only thing he’s going to be able to do is pick his spot on the ground where he’s going to lay at.”
And, sure enough, that’s pretty much what happened:
Even the referee wasn’t safe from Wilder’s obvious rage, and nearly got thrown across the ring while stopping him.
After the fight, Wilder took aim at Anthony Joshua, who holds the IBO, WBA, and IBF championship belts. “I’ve been waiting on that fight for a long time now. I declare war upon you,” Wilder said. “Do you accept my challenge? I’ve been waiting for a long time. I know I’m the champion. I know I’m the best. Are you up for the test?”
“No more dodging, no more dodging, no more excuses,” he said. “Make the date, don’t wait. I’m too athletic. I told y’all I’m mobile, I’m hostile, I am the king, baby, and no heavyweight can compare to me. I’m very confident in what I do, and tonight I showed that.”
Check out Wilder’s post-fight press conference below:
