Bermane Stiverne has won the WBC heavyweight title after stopping Chris Arreola in the sixth round of their bout in Los Angeles.
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The Canadian had got the better of his opponent over 12 rounds last year, but after Vitali Klitschko vacated the world strap to concentrate on his political career, the WBC ordered the two fighters to meet for a second time.
The first five rounds were evenly contested, with Arreola having the better of the opening three stanzas before Stiverne began to find his range over the following six minutes.
However, with the encounter developing into an entertaining contest, Stiverne connected with a huge right hand to send Arreola to the canvas, and although the American beat the count, Stiverne quickly stepped in to finish his opponent to win a world title for the first time.
Stiverne moves to 24 wins from 26 bouts, while Arreola has now suffered four defeats in 40 professional matches.
Darren Plant
