WBC Heavyweight Eliminator in Main Event
Haitian heavyweight Bermane Stiverne (ranked the #2 contender by the WBC going into the fight) threatened to “chop off the head” of ring rival and #1-ranked contender Chris Arreola at their final press conference leading up to their clash April 27 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. While the Vegas slugger (known as “B.Ware” Stiverne) obviously didn’t succeed in cutting off anyone’s head, he did break the nose of “The Nightmare” Arreola in their WBC championship elimination bout promoted by Goossen Tutor Promotions in association with Don King Productions.
It was a statement win for Stiverne and a crossroads collision for Arreola.
After his win in Ontario, perhaps future opponents will be a lot more wary of Stiverne.
The lesser-known but Don King-backed Stiverne, at 34, is two years older than Arreola, who is promoted by SoCal’s Dan Goossen. Bermane weighed in at 247; Chris came in at 248. Everyone loves a good heavyweight rumble and this one promised to be good scrap. This match, airing on HBO, had been postponed three times before Saturday’s locking of horns finally came to fruition. Both Stiverne (23-1, 20 KOs) and Arreola (35-3, 30 KOs) were both stepping back into the ring after more than a year-long hiatus for each. Would “ring rust” rear its ugly head? Would Arreola get the chance to face nemesis Vitali Klitschko again? Or would “B.Ware” put his name on the boxing map?
Here is the “Chatter Box’s” special report from the fight.
Local favorite, Riverside’s Arreola, had the crowd support in his backyard and also had two popular former champs Fernando Vargas and Josesito Lopez in his corner. Chris won the opening rounds as the fight got underway. But the challenger (who had his own large entourage on his side) quickly took the fans’ cheers out of the competition when Stiverne connected with a monster right hand in round three, depositing Chris on the canvas in the final seconds of the stanza. As official Jack Reiss administered the count, Arreola’s corner with cutman “Indian” Willie Schunke was ready to check on the broken nose. In the fourth frame, blood spurted out from hometown hero’s face as the two gladiators went toe to toe. The nose cartilage damaged, the carnage continued.
Bermane stuck to his game plan of going to the body, sticking to his jab, and targeting the beak of the tough Mexican warrior. But Chris subscribes to the “Never Surrender” school of boxing. And much to the appreciation of the crowd in attendance, he never gave up, never giving in. While Arreola won the first two rounds on aggression, once the nose went and breathing became labored, it was an uphill battle for the hometown hero, decked out in crimson red with “Fight On” on his trunks. But it was a bloody good show for the fans.
And there’s nothing like the roar of the local fans to buoy a fighter’s efforts, and I heard the echo of “AR-RE-O-LA” chants loud and strong rumbling through the stands. The former champ had to dig deep (as instructed by trainer Henry Ramirez) to stay in the fight, and in trying to score a huge come-from-behind knockout needed to win.
The contest seemed more competitive watching live as the fans were poised for a possible knockout by either pug. The drama continued as many wondered how Chris was keeping on his feet, after suffering a broken nose and the steady flow of blood that prevailed. Arreola swallowed blood, fought through adversity and tried his hardest in subsequent rounds. In round nine, he stalked Stiverne, showing a burst of energy and a huge display of cojones as he employed a rally of punches that fueled the fans rooting for the Inland Empire fighter.
At the end of round 10, Chris’ fans were standing as he pounded his chest. But Bermane stayed on his game, pounding out the punches, staying much busier and more effective as he continued his quest for victory. The winner claims stake as the mandatory challenger to take on Vitali Klitschko and Stiverne’s sights were set on reaching that prize.
The last round had the audience cheering as both men gave it their all. In the last three minutes, Stiverne’s uppercut and barrage of leather had Arreola spitting blood but Chris tried to give as good as he got in a good action round that capped off an entertaining bout. While Chris’ heart and warrior-mentality was in the brawl, he trailed far behind, winning just two to three rounds on the official judges’ scorecards of 117-110 (Carla Caiz and Claude Paquette) and 118-109 (Marty Denkin).
So it looks like mandatory challenger Bermane Stiverne will look to topple Ukrainian powerhouse Vitali Klitschko sometime down the road.
And what’s next for Chris Arreola? Will the Pride of Riverside rebound once again?
QUESTIONS REMAIN. The heavyweight has always been plagued by talk of his weight issues and lack of discipline in training. He now has three losses on his ledger to Bermane Stiverne, Tomasz Adamek and Vitali Klitschko. But don’t count “The Nightmare” out just yet.
After the fight, he told the HBO commentators that he will be back. “AIN’T NO STOPPING ME,” Chris said, “I’ll be back–I promise.”
Discussing the defeat, he added: “He broke my nose; I couldn’t breathe. No excuses…I came to this fight ready!”
And in a show of sportsmanship, Arreola rightfully gave props to the B-man, “B.Ware” Stiverne, who snatched the victory on Saturday night. Time will tell if Arreola continues in his quest to become the first Mexican heavyweight world champ. He has tasted success–and he has experienced defeat.
The road climbing back to the top will be a rocky one. And there’s no guarantee that Chris can reach the pinnacle once again. But you can never count a champ out.
Only time will tell.
Photos by Marlene Marquez