Bermane Stiverne facts for kids

Bermane Stiverne (born November 1, 1978) is a professional boxer from Haiti and Canada. He was the WBC heavyweight champion from 2014 to 2015.

Amateur Career: How Bermane Started Boxing

Bermane Stiverne began boxing when he was 19 years old. As an amateur boxer, he won a silver medal in the super heavyweight division at the 2005 National Championships. He also earned bronze medals in the 2003 and 2004 Championships.

In international competitions, he had some big wins. He beat Robert Helenius on points and knocked out David Price. His total amateur record was 49 wins and 10 losses. Stiverne once shared why he didn't go to the Olympics. He said, "In a qualifying tournament in Mexico, I met a Mexican fighter. I knocked him down three times, but they still gave him the win." That fighter was George Garcia.

Professional Career: Becoming a Champion

Early Fights

Stiverne became a professional boxer with promoter Don King. He won his first twelve fights by knocking out his opponents, often using his strong left hook.

In 2007, he had his first loss to Demetrice King. In 2011, he knocked out Kertson Manswell in the second round. This win helped him get several important titles. These included the WBC International, WBC USNBC, and WBA Fedelatin heavyweight titles.

On June 25, 2011, he fought Ray Austin for the WBC Silver heavyweight title. Stiverne won this fight by a technical knockout (TKO) in the 10th round. This made him the official challenger for the WBC heavyweight championship. At that time, the champion was Vitali Klitschko.

Winning the WBC Heavyweight Title

Stiverne vs. Arreola II

On December 19, 2013, the WBC announced that Bermane Stiverne and Chris Arreola would fight for the world heavyweight championship. The title had become empty after Vitali Klitschko stepped down. This fight was a rematch because Stiverne had already beaten Arreola in 2013.

The title fight took place on May 10, 2014, in Los Angeles, California. Even though Stiverne had won their first fight, many people thought Arreola would win this time. But Stiverne proved them wrong. He won the rematch by a TKO in the sixth round. Arreola was hit hard and couldn't defend himself, so the referee stopped the fight.

With this victory, Bermane Stiverne became the first boxer born in Haiti to win a world heavyweight championship. Important people from Haiti, including the President, Michel Martelly, congratulated him.

Stiverne vs. Wilder: Losing the Title

Stiverne's first defense of his WBC heavyweight title was against Deontay Wilder. Wilder had won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. The fight happened on January 17, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Stiverne lost the fight by a unanimous decision after 12 rounds. The judges' scores showed that Wilder had landed many more punches. After the fight, Stiverne was taken to the hospital because he was very dehydrated, but he was released a few days later.

After Being Champion

The Cancelled Fight with Povetkin

In 2016, the WBC said that Alexander Povetkin should fight Stiverne for an interim WBC heavyweight title. However, there was a problem before the fight. The WBC found that Stiverne had a banned substance in his system. Stiverne explained that he had taken a supplement without knowing it contained the substance. Because it was his first time, the WBC fined him $75,000.

Just 20 hours before the fight, the WBC stopped the fight from happening. This was because Povetkin also had a problem with a drug test. Stiverne then decided not to fight Povetkin.

Stiverne vs. Wilder II: A Rematch

On November 4, 2017, Stiverne fought Deontay Wilder again for the WBC world heavyweight title. Before this fight, Stiverne had not been very active, with only two fights in almost three years. He was the only boxer who had gone all 12 rounds with Wilder before.

However, the rematch was not what fans hoped for. Stiverne was knocked out in the first round. Statistics showed he only threw four punches during the entire fight, and none of them landed.

Stiverne vs. Joyce

In 2019, Stiverne fought undefeated British heavyweight Joe Joyce. Joyce was a strong fighter, ranked highly by the WBA. Joyce started the fight by throwing powerful punches. Stiverne, who was 40 years old, landed some counterattacks but was mostly on the defensive. The referee stopped the fight in the 6th round, and Stiverne lost by TKO.

Stiverne vs. Bryan

On January 29, 2021, Stiverne faced Trevor Bryan, who was the WBA regular heavyweight champion. Bryan knocked Stiverne down twice. The referee stopped the fight shortly after the second knockdown in the middle of the eleventh round.

Personal Life

Bermane Stiverne was born in Plaine-du-Nord, Haiti. He is the youngest of 14 children, with eight sisters and five brothers. In July 2011, he helped out at the Welcome Hall Mission in Montreal. He offered training and encouragement to young homeless people there. Stiverne is also known to be a fan of the Miami Heat basketball team.

Professional Boxing Record