By Jake Donovan
The final piece to the puzzle has been added to solidify the January 17 heavyweight clash between Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder. A joint request filed by Don King Productions and Golden Boy Promotions to co-promote the title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was unanimously approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission during its monthly agenda hearing held Friday morning.
King promotes Stiverne, while Golden Boy Promotions has Wilder—who is advised by Al Haymon—under contract, at least for the time being.
Stiverne (24-1, 21KOs) will make the first defense of his portion of the heavyweight belt he acquired in a 6 th round stoppage of Chris Arreola in their rematch this past May. The win was historic for Stiverne, who became the first-ever Haiti-born fighter to win a heavyweight belt.
Wilder (32-0, 32KOs) remains the last American male boxer to have captured an Olympic medal, earning the bronze as a member of the 2008 squad that competed in the Beijing Games. Wilder turned pro later that year, and has emerged as a leading heavyweight in the American boxing scene.
A win by the Alabama native will earn the distinction of becoming the first U.S. heavyweight to hold a piece of the title since Shannon Briggs was dethroned in June ’07.
SHOWTIME will televise the event live on its flagship station. Unbeaten super bantamweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz will appear in the evening’s chief support, against a yet-to-be-named opponent.
Interestingly, the NSAC also unanimously approved for a competing MMA event to take place elsewhere in town. World Series of Fighting will host an MMA show at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casinio in Las Vegas, with NBC Sports Network to televise.
Jake Donovan is the
Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the
Transnational Boxing Ratings Board
and a member
of
Boxing Writers Association of America
.
Twitter:
@JakeNDaBox
