by David P. Greisman
Bermane Stiverne was the first boxer to be with Eye of the Tiger Management and its first to win a world title. But the fighter and manager Camille Estephan split in December, a decision Estephan said was based on disagreements with promoter Don King and not one that left any ill feelings toward Stiverne.
“I don’t have the same philosophy — the way I saw things for Bermane’s career and the way Don King saw them were very different,” Estephan said. “It wasn’t positive for Bermane to be between a promoter and a manager who don’t get along. It’s not that we didn’t get along. We didn’t see eye to eye. We didn’t have the same values, so I decided to step back.”
Estephan has no share of any future money Stiverne makes, and in the heavyweight division it seems as if fighters are never that far away from getting a decent payday (with a percentage going to the manager). He wasn’t going to stick around for the money, however.
“I either believe in something or don’t believe,” Estephan said. “It’s not that I don’t believe in Bermane. I don’t believe in what Don King wants to do.”
Estephan wouldn’t detail what King believes in beyond saying “different politics, different vision, different values.”
But he would get into where he sees Stiverne going from here. Stiverne, 37, picked up a vacant world title against Chris Arreola in 2014, lost it by decision to Deontay Wilder in early 2015, and then had to come off the canvas to win a relatively close decision over Derric Rossy this past November. He is now 25-2-1 with 21 KOs.
“He has a lot of power, a lot of speed. He has all the tools that it takes to be a world champion,” Estephan said.
And if and when that day comes?
“I will be very proud and happy,” he said.
Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide. Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com
