Woods: I Like Stiverne’s Focus and Fire Ahead of Arreola Rematch

I like it. The edge. The coiled demeanor. The fire.

I like how heavyweight Bermane Stiverne is acting days out from his rematch against ChrisArreola, which will be shown on ESPN–not ESPN2!….and on PRIMETIME!–on Saturday evening.

Stiverne was asked by Marcos Villegas of the Boxing Channel where the fire is coming from.

Has Arreola burrowed into the head of the Haitian-born hitter, who lived in Canada, and now calls Florida home?

“Not at all, not at all under my skin,” he said. “We’re talking about a world title, being champion of the world.” The boxer, helmed by Camille Estephan of Eye of the Tiger, and the inimitable Don King, said he wants to be a composed destroyer, a patient predator, on Saturday, at USC.

I simply dig the importance that Stiverne seems to attach to this test, to this WBC crown vacated by Vitali Klitschko. I’m guessing that this POV is going to translate into how he fights, that his in-the-ring manner will match his talk. I expect his combos to flow smoothly, and Stiverne to transfer some of that surliness into his fists. “I don’t buy into nothin,” he told Villegas, when asked about some of the “brand new Arreola/this time is different” talk coming from that camp. “Especially from Chris.”

Yep, I dig it. Give me less of that “we’re all making money together” vibe, and more of this sort of almost-boiling-over emotion. “There’s always an excuse with Chris,” Stiverne continued, noting that the Cali boxer could explain a loss by citing excessive weight loss.

A win from a Haitian would lift that nation’s spirits a good bit, could give those people an influx of hopefullness. “I’m here to inspire people that come from where I come from…I grew up with nothing,” he said.

Check out this video, of Stiverne showing a proper game-face on Thursday, at the final presser ahead of the clash, to screen on ESPN.

http://www.boxingchannel.tv/bermane-stiverne-there-is-always-an-excuse-with-chris-i-dont-care-what-he-says-im-ready

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