Deontay Wilder vs. Bermane Stiverne II: Wilder likely to win, but how?

Deontay Wilder is a heavy favorite heading into his rematch with Bermane Stiverne. A Wilder victory is likely, but will he be able to knock out Stiverne?

Deontay Wilder’s (38-0, 37 KOs) reign as the WBC heavyweight champion has lasted for nearly three years. In January of 2015, he defeated Bermane Stiverne to earn the title. After five title defenses, Wilder and Stiverne meet again on Saturday, Nov. 4.

In their first fight, Wilder easily outboxed Stiverne. He won with scores of 118-109, 119-108, and 120-107. This fight was not competitive, which is why an immediate rematch didn’t take place. Wilder is known as a power-puncher, but his skills as a boxer earned him the victory over Stiverne.

Wilder’s record is nearly as perfect as it gets. He has 38 victories, no losses and 37 knockouts. Every boxer Wilder has faced he’s knocked out — except Bermane Stiverne.

There’s little reason to believe Stiverne has much of a chance to beat Wilder. He looked very bad in their first fight and was hospitalized for dehydration after the bout. The night before the fight, Wilder badly injured his eye. While using a resistance band to workout his calf, the band slipped off his foot hitting him in his left eye. He passed out from the pain, his vision was blurred and he could only see in black and white.

In the fourth round of their first fight, Wilder badly broke his right hand. He was able to defeat Stiverne with one eye and one hand. He’s at full strength right now, though. Logic follows that Wilder should have an easier time with Stiverne the second time around barring injury during the fight.

Since losing his title, Stiverne has only fought once and that was in November of 2015. He hasn’t fought in nearly two years. When a boxer has an extended layoff, they usually take a tune-up bout before jumping into a competitive bout, let alone a title fight. This is Stiverne’s biggest mistake.

Stiverne took this fight on short notice. Luis Ortiz was supposed to fight Wilder, but he tested positive for a banned substance. Stiverne leaped at a shot to regain the title, but his confidence has to be called into question. Mentally, his lack of activity and the gigantic obstacle Wilder represents will be too much for Stiverne to handle.

Wilder has a five-inch height advantage and a six-inch reach advantage over Stiverne. He’s a slow starter, but he will use these physical advantages to keep Stiverne away. Stiverne lacks head movement which makes him an easy target.

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Also, Stiverne took this fight on short notice, so he’s only had four weeks to train. He’s most likely not in the best shape. Stiverne’s lack of preparation and inactivity will result in ring-rust. He has too many factors stacked against him.

Wilder wins this fight by knockout. He’s determined to knock-out Stiverne, and he’s hungry for a shot at unifying the title against Anthony Joshua. This fight won’t go past round six.