Bermane Stiverne Gets Off The Floor To Edge Rossy

By Rick Reeno

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas - In his first bout since the decision loss to Deontay Wilder in January, former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21KOs) had to get off the floor and had all he could handle in winning a ten round unanimous decision over Derric Rossy (30-11, 14KOs). The scores were 95-94, 96-93, 96-93.

Rossy started well, throwing a jab off the back-foot and stunned the crowd by scoring a knockdown at the very end of the first when he caught Stiverne coming in and sent the former champ down on his back.

They were trading big punches in the second, with Stiverne letting his hands go and becoming more active. Rossy was giving as good as he was getting during the third. They continued to go toe to toe during the fourth round, with Stiverne landing the harder shots and busting Rossy's nose.

Stiverne was applying pressure throughout the entire contest, bringing the fight to Rossy, who had his moments in brief spots. Stiverne's combinations and eye-catching connects were piling up points. By the end of the seventh, Stiverne's left eye was starting to swell up.

Rossy had no problem trading with Stiverne on the inside and took the incoming punches well, but quickly held when Stiverne would start to get both hands going. Stiverne hurt Rossy bad near the end of the ninth. A body shot had Rossy trying to coast as Stiverne was putting together his punches to the head and body.

Stiverne went back to work in the tenth, landing some very hard shots to the body and had Rossy circling the ring to kill the time remaining in the contest.

Junior welterweight prospect Charvis Holifield (4-1-1, 3KOs) went to a six round majority draw with Dwain Victorian (5-3-1, 3KOs). The scores were 58-56 for Victorian, 57-57, 57-57. Some of the rounds were close and hard to score. Holifield seemed to do enough to squeeze out a close win, but the judges felt otherwise.

Sanjarbek Rahkmannov (3-0, 2KO) battered and stopped previously undefeated Sommer Martin (4-1, 2KOs). The fight was held at a contract weight of 144-pounds. Martin took punishment to the head and body from corner to corner, until referee Robert Byrd stepped in and waved off the fight.

In a battle of undefeated junior welterweights, Trakwon "Superman" Pettis (2-0, 1KO), who is part of Floyd Mayweather's Money Team, won a four round unanimous decision over Marquis Hawthorne (1-1). All three of the ringside judges scored it 40-36.