By Rick Reeno
MGM Grand, Las Vegas - As BoxingScene.com reported earlier, there was some serious tension between WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (24-1, 21K.Os) and mandatory challenger Deontay Wilder (32-0, 32KOs). The two fighters will collide in a Showtime televised main event on Saturday night
During their final press conference on Thursday morning, Wilder launched a verbal assault on Stiverne, as the champion sat there, kept quiet, and took everything in.
But once the champion had his opportunity to speak to the media, he fired back some bombs - including a potshot at Wilder's 2013 arrest for a domestic abuse charge .
"We've been ready for a month now, waiting for someone to sign the contract. I don't have five or six managers. I only have one. Of course it was a problem. Speaking of vacations, didn't you go on vacation for a domestic.... [interrupted by Wilder at that point]. Yeah, you heard me [speaking back to Wilder]. Of course it's going to be a real fight, a fight like he's never seen before. I'm not a cab driver. I ain't no one-hit wonder. This is the real deal. This belt ain't going nowhere," Stiverne said.
"You are not going more than four rounds. You can't even look at me with a straight face. You are sitting there with your fake ass and that ridiculous suit that you got on and that fake ass watch you got on. I'm trying to catch a case. You are going to get hurt. The one [mistake] you did was make me take you serious. I took you serious. You better shut the hell up, I'm the champ. You ain't gonna whoop sh*t. It's gonna be a short night. This is going to be the end. After this fight, you will never, ever, ever, ever hear about Deontay Wilder."