As officially announced earlier today, Deontay Wilder will defend his World Boxing Council heavyweight crown with a rematch against Haitian-born Canadian Bermane Stiverne next month.
Wilder, 38-0 with 37 knockouts, was due to face Luis Ortiz, but the Cuban southpaw was pulled from the bout after testing positive for a banned substance in a pre-fight drug test.
Stiverne, 25-2 with one drawn and 21 knockouts, was on the undercard but will move into the main event on the November 4 event at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
A victory for Wilder could set the stage for a 2018 unification showdown against the reigning International Boxing Federation, International Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association champion Anthony Joshua, who is 19-0 with every win by knockout.
Wilder began his reign in January 2015 by taking the WBC crown with a unanimous decision triumph over Stiverne in Las Vegas -- the only fight in Wilder's pro career to go the distance and one where he suffered a broken right hand.
Stiverne, the WBC mandatory title challenger who was paid to step aside so Wilder could face Ortiz, was hospitalized after the first fight for severe dehydration and muscle damage.
He has not fought in nearly two years but has pushed for a title rematch.
Stiverne, who was to have faced Dominic Breazeale, won the WBC crown in 2014 by knocking out American Chris Arreola.
"I am ready, willing and able to seize back my title from Wilder," Stiverne said. "Wilder dodged a bullet in the first fight, but not this time. It was my fault, but I learn from my mistakes."
It will be the sixth title defense for Wilder, who saw a scheduled May 2016 bout in Moscow against Russian Alexander Povetkin and a planned bout last February in his home region at Birmingham, Alabama, against Poland's Andrzej Wawrzyk both implode after his rivals failed doping tests.
