By Jake Donovan

It’s been nearly eight years since an American heavyweight has enjoyed title status, but the drought came to an end on Saturday evening, when Deontay Wilder upended Bermane Stiverne over 12 rounds at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The biggest upset of the night was the fact that the bout—which aired live on SHOWTIME—went all 12 scheduled rounds. Boxing observers were almost evenly split in trying to pick a winner, though nearly everyone agreed that it would end in a vicious knockout in six rounds or less.

Wilder has a flair for pulling off the improbable, though. Few if anyone believed he would capture a medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, much less serve as the only fighter from the U.S. Olympic boxing team that year to bring home hardware.

Entering his first title fight largely untested due to the brief nature of all 32 career starts, Wilder showed he can win by boxing in the event that the knockout didn’t come.

“We knew we could go 12 rounds,” Wilder insisted after the fight. “We worked hard in camp. That's what camp is all about.”

Saturday’s action at the MGM Grand wasn’t always about action, with a lot of the night watching both fighters waiting to see who would make the first mistake. Stiverne came out fighting behind an earmuff guard, while Wilder was content to work solely on the strength of his jab, reluctant to let his right hand go too early as to avoid getting caught with counter shots.

The first dramatic moment came late in round two, when Wilder rocked the defending titlist just before the bell. Stiverne stumbled, began to drop to his knees before wrapping his arms around Wilder’s legs as both fell to the canvas. Referee Tony Weeks did his best to restore order and make sure no extracurricular activity took place, but missed what should have been a knockdown call in the process.

With that, no official knockdowns came of the night, although both fighters definitely felt the other’s presence on several occasions over the course of the night. Stiverne began to punch his way back into the fight in round four, landing left hooks and also occasionally scoring to the body, attempting to slow down a mobile Wilder, who used every inch the ring as well as his massive height and reach advantages to good use.

Fatigue clearly began to settle in for both fighters as the fight reached the midway point. The crowd—heavily papered but also including a slew of former heavyweight champions including Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes—sensed that the knockout ending most craved wasn’t going to come, with boos beginning to trickle throughout the arena. Both fighters momentarily responded, though the fight never boasted the type of sustained action expected given their styles.

Wilder was already in uncharted territory once the bell sounded to begin round five, but seemed fresher for the wear as the second half began. Stiverne, meanwhile, was in search of a second wind, his low energy level witnessed as he swung wildly and nearly fell through the ropes towards the end of round seven.

Whenever Stiverne was able to mount an offense, Wilder was able to ride out the storm and return to controlling the action with his jab. That same weapon was what led to Stiverne breaking Chris Arreola’s nose in their first fight in March ’13, and that confidence carrying over to their rematch last May, when he scored a 6th round knockout to claim a vacant heavyweight title. On that night, Stiverne had all of the resources to ride out his opponent’s best and come back with heavy fire power.

For his headliner in a Las Vegas town he has called home since 2004, it just wasn’t there for the soon to be ex-champ.

“It wasn’t my night. I wasn’t 100% in there, what can I say,” commented the always reserved Stiverne after the fight, before later commenting on his inability to properly execute his game plan.

“I was flat in there. What I know I can do, I wasn’t able to do tonight.”

A lot of that had to do, of course, with the challenges Wilder presented by performing far from the original scouting report. Having never been past four rounds in his boxing life— which began as a 19-year old in Tuscaloosa, Alabama—Wilder stuck to his tailor-made game plan for all 12 rounds in the biggest fight of his career.

The end result was his becoming the first American since Shannon Briggs in 2007 to own a heavyweight belt. The night marked his first fight to go to the scorecards, though his record improves to 33-0 (32KOs). He is also the first unbeaten American heavyweight titlist since Michael Moorer upset Evander Holyfield in their first championship fight in April ’94.

Stiverne suffers his first loss since July ’07, falling to 24-2-1 (21KOs). The 36-year had entered the fight riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak and also owning the distinction of serving as the first—and only, to date—Haiti-born fighter to win a piece of the heavyweight crown. The eight-month reign comes to an end, as does his winning ways with the loss.

As for what awaits Wilder… that’s a question that doesn’t quite boast a simple response.

The World lineal heavyweight king is Wladimir Klitschko, who is also widely regarded as the absolute best heavyweight in the world with nobody else even a close second. The belt in Wilder’s possession is the one strap Klitschko has craved ever since collecting every other piece of significant hardware in the division.

Once upon a time, all that stood in between Klitschko and complete heavyweight unification was his older brother Vitali, who came out of retirement in 2008 to win the WBC belt, holding onto the strap for more than five years before formally retiring in Dec. ’13, leading to Stiverne’s vacant title win over Arreola just five months later.

Klitschko was previously in negotiations for a voluntary defense versus Bryant Jennings, which was to take place April 25 at Barclays Center in Brookyln. Such a fight would have satisfied the mandatory obligation awaiting Wilder, thus paving the way for total unification whenever the two wanted to tango. However, talks have stalled, with the venue ano longer on the table for such a fight which was already threatening to fall apart earlier in the month. BoxingScene.com's Michael Coppinger has since reported that the fight might be back on for April 25, now at Madison Square Garden, home of Jennings' last two fights and also Klitshcko's last stateside appearance.

Such news is without Klitschko's confirmation for the moment. In the event another snafu occurs, Jennings—now promoted by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports following its merger with Gary Shaw Productions—could instead enforce his mandatory title fight with Wilder. That fight that would make for the first heavyweight title bout between two unbeaten American heavyweights since Riddick Bowe won the undisputed championship from Evander Holyfield in their epic first encounter in Nov. ’92.

With that, Jennings—now promoted by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports following its merger with Gary Shaw Productions—will likely move towards a mandatory title fight with Wilder. That fight that would make for the first heavyweight title bout between two unbeaten American heavyweights since Riddick Bowe won the undisputed championship from Evander Holyfield in their epic first encounter in Nov. ’92.

Nothing is yet set in stone, though undoubtedly there are big plans in store for Wilder whatever direction he is taken. As a gifted athlete who turned to boxing due to his daughter being born with a spinal condition that required extensive and costly medical attention, Wilder has continued to prove the doubters wrong in just how far he can make it in this sport.

Saturday night was just the latest example.

“I don’t want anyone to doubt me anymore,” Wilder demanded afterward, although aware there will always be critics.

Regardless of what happens in his next fight or whom against, nothing can change the fact that—for however long this reign lasts—the 6’7” heavyweight has once again thrown the weight of a nation on his broad shoulders.

“I'm so happy to bring this belt back to America officially,” Wilder proudly beamed. “I've got some of the best fans in the world."

UNDERCARD
The knockout ending everyone expected never came in the main event, but the two televised supporting bouts certainly delivered.

Stealing the show was the opening televised bout, with Amir Imam surving a knockdown to score four of his own in a 5th round knockout of Fidel Maldonado Jr. in a wild affair.

Maldonado Jr. came out as the aggressor, but paid a heavy price late in round two as Imam scored with a compact right hand to drop his foe hard. To his credit, Maldonado quickly recovered, to the point of sending Imam to the canvas early in round three.

The unbeaten super lightweight prospect dusted himself off and took the fight right back to his foe, dropping  Maldonado twice in that same round before closing the show late in round five.

Imam now rolls to 16-0 (14KOs). Maldonado Jr. falls to 19-3-1 (16KOs), snapping a seven-fight unbeaten streak.

In the televised co-feature, Leo Santa Cruz racked up the fourth defense of his super bantamweight belt with an 8th round stoppage of Jesus Ruiz. The fight was fan-friendly with plenty of punches thrown, just not the matchup that most crave for Santa Cruz (29-0-1, 17KOs), especially considering the talent surrounding him in the weight class.

Put on the spot for a timetable of when he can expect to face any of them, Santa Cruz at least said all of the right things on air.

“I want (former three-division titlist Abner) Mares. I want (World 122 lb. king Guillermo) Rigondeaux, (unbeaten 122 lb. titlists)  Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg. We are talking to my manager and to Golden Boy to get the best possible fights,” Santa Cruz promised after the bout.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox