Elie Seckbach and the lovable Chris Arreola at their best
At a recent show at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA, Chris Arreola (r) posed for this photo with boxing great Bobby Chacon and his lovely wife. Photo: Jim Wyatt
On Tuesday, April 23, the WBC’s #1 Heavyweight contender Chris Arreola (35-2, 30 KOs) and the WBC’s #2 contender Bermane Stiverne (22-1-1, 20 KOs) met for their final press conference. On Saturday Arreola will fight Stiverne in a 12-round WBC heavyweight elimination bout with the winner guaranteed to fight for the world championship in their next bout.
It was all so ho-hum until the absentminded Stiverne got behind the dais to address the assembly: “A few days away from the fight. I don’t really have much to say … except if anyone cut me … with a knife … to see what’s inside of me … they would see that I’m not here to knock Chris out. (even longer silence) I am here to chop his head off. That’s what we do where I come from. (Haiti) You don’t break my will. I can’t wait for Saturday night…this is serious. Before you beat me … or knock me out, you will have to kill me. Your people can talk for you but they can’t fight for you.”
Chris Arreola: “In case you didn’t know… I’m a crazy motha f—er. I like that you want to cut my head off. That’s what boxing is all about. This is a fight! You telling me you’re gonna chop my head off puts a fire in my belly. I’m going to f**k you up. I’m going to box circles around you. I have no bad feeling for you but I am going to knock you out. I want both of us to come home to our families. Although, you may go home a little sad and dejected. I’ll send you a fruit basket.”
ESNews boxing video: Dan Goosen’s comments on the threat from Stiverne: “Well, I guess it’s on.”
ESNews boxing video: Elie Seckbach’s question for Chris Arreola.
Bermane Stiverne tries to explain his blunder, “I still think what I said, was nice.”
According to his fans, the only ongoing battle for Chris “the Nightmare” Arreola is keeping his weight down.
Word of warning to the Arreola camp: as an amateur, Stiverne defeated both David Price and Robert Helenius, two well respected heavyweights.
