Undefeated, Trevor Bryan is the new WBA heavyweight champion following controversial circumstances over the past few days.
‘The Dream’ knocked former WBC Heavyweight Champion Bermane Stiverne to the canvas in the 11th round. Bryan then finished him off before referee Frank Gentile stopped the fight, and Bryan walked off with the WBA Heavyweight Championship.
Stiverne got his chance as a late replacement for outgoing champion Mahmoud Charr. WBA officials stripped Charr after he was denied a visa through no fault of his own.
Bryan (21-0, 15 KOs) from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, kept his record perfect as his powerful jab kept Stiverne at bay in the title bout at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL Friday night.
In the 11th round, Bryan used his left jab and then countered with three substantial rights to his opponent’s head that sent him to the canvas.
After a standing eight count, Bryan continued to press the hurt Stiverne. Referee Gentile stopped the bout at 1:26 of the 11th round.
Stiverne (25-5-1, 21 KOs), who is 43-years-old and hails from Las Vegas, NV, couldn’t handle the steady jabs of the 31-year-old Bryan.
He tried to land his powerful overhand right-hand several times, but Bryan stepped aside.
Don King promoted the night of boxing as his “Return to Greatness” card with three live fights. Also, three Don King promoted classics on pay-per-view via Don King TV.
The evening’s first live fight saw bantamweight Joahnys Argilagos (6-0, 3 KOs) keep his record perfect with a unanimous four-round victory over veteran Ernie Marquez (10-16-2, 3 KOs).
All three judges—Brian Garry, John Rupert, and Rocky Young—fought 40-39.
In the second fight, Sarasota cruiserweight Johnnie Langston (9-3, 3 KOs) battered his opponent, DeShon Webster (12-4-3, 6 KOs) of Kansas City, MO, for all six rounds to win a unanimous decision.
Two judges had the bout 59-55, and the third had it 60-54.
In addition to the three live fights, King treated boxing fans to three classics he promoted on the $19.99 pay-per-view card.
HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
As per the WBA ruling, Bryan must defend against Charr by May 2021. After what transpired this week, there are no guarantees that will happen.
Charr was enraged by the decision. Former challenger Fres Oquendo also launched legal action against the fight.
Oquendo had won a court case to gain a title shot dating back seven years ago.
The argument continues.
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