Stiverne says he learned lesson from only loss

One is the World Boxing Council’s heavyweight title belt. Stiverne won it May 10 when he stopped Chris Arreola in the sixth round in Los Angeles to claim the title left vacant by Vitali Klitschko, who retired from boxing and entered politics in his native Ukraine.

The second thing is a loss. But Stiverne has been using it as a motivator and a reminder ever since he let his fight with Demetrice King slip away from him in 2007 and he was a technical knockout victim in the fourth round in Bridgeport, Conn.

Saturday nighjt, Stiverne (24-1-1, 21 knockouts) will make the first defense of his title when he meets Wilder (32-0, 32 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden on a Showtime-televised card.

“I learned a valuable lesson that night,” Stiverne said. “The lesson I learned was once you have someone hurt, you have to finish him. You have to take care of business.”

Stiverne, who was 12-0 with 12 knockouts when he fought King, was in control early. But he then let up, figuring he could coast the rest of the way.

Instead, King hurt Stiverne in the fourth round and was all over him when the fight was stopped.

Stiverne, whose only other blemish on his record was a six-round draw against Charles Davis in 2009 in St. Louis, said he never has forgotten the empty feeling that came from losing.

“Nobody likes to lose,” he said. “At the time, it was devastating. I was still young, and I didn’t take care of my business that night and I paid for it. It was my fault.”

Wilder never has tasted defeat and says he won’t on Saturday. Las Vegas sports books agree, as he is a minus-175 favorite against Stiverne, who is plus-145.

He said Stiverne isn’t worthy of being a world champion.

“He’s just a tourist with that belt,” Wilder said. “I’m going to put him and his entire team out of work. You’ll never hear from him again.”

Stiverne has been listening to Wilder’s insults for months. Even before the fight was finalized last month, Wilder has been taunting Stiverne, mocking him, including putting on a wig that mimicked Stiverne’s trademark dreadlocks.

But the easygoing 36-year-old Haitian can only take so much abuse. He fired back at Wilder during Thursday’s final news conference to promote the fight.

“I ain’t no one-hit wonder,” Stiverne told Wilder. “This is the real deal. This belt ain’t going nowhere.”

The fight is a chance for Stiverne to gain some respect. Many think Wilder’s punching power and lethal right hand will make Stiverne’s reign as champion a short one.

But Stiverne and his trainer, Don House, said they’re ready for that right hand.

“We haven’t done too many things different other than we’ve prepared to fight a tall guy,” House said of the 6-foot-7-inch Wilder. “We still do the same work.”

Stiverne, who is 6-2, appears to be in good shape. He weighed 247 pounds when he fought Arreola in 2013 and 239 for the rematch in May. At Friday’s weigh-in, he was 239 pounds, with Wilder weighing 219.

Don’t expect Stiverne to lay on the ropes the way he did against Arreola. He said he doesn’t want to be a stationary target for Wilder. He said he respects the 29-year-old’s power and doesn’t plan to let him just fire away.

“I’ve got the superior boxing skills, and I’m going to use them,” Stiverne said.

The fight is important for Stiverne, not only because it’s his first title defense but also because it’s in Las Vegas, where he has lived since 2007. It’s also the first heavyweight title fight at the Grand Garden since the 1997 rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfiield, the infamous “Bite Fight.”

“It’s been my dream to win a title and to defend it in the MGM,” Stiverne said. “I’m getting to do both.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.