Stiverne commented about his absence from the Olympics: "In a qualifying tournament in Mexico I met a Mexican fighter in the semi-finals and I was robbed.
[2] Stiverne turned professional under promoter Don King, and knocked out his first twelve opponents with his favoured left hook.
Stiverne won the fight by a 10-round TKO, becoming the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight championship, then held by Vitali Klitschko.
Arreola was caught with a right hand early on in the round, and was unable to defend against the increasing volume of Stiverne, which prompted the referee to wave the fight off.
[9][10][11] He was congratulated by notable Haitians on this accomplishment, including by the President of Haiti, Michel Martelly[12] Stiverne made his first WBC heavyweight title defense against the 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist Deontay Wilder.
The fight was scheduled for January 17, 2015, and was held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
[16] On November 11, the WBC were informed that Stiverne had tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine.
[21] In 2019, Stiverne faced undefeated British heavyweight contender Joe Joyce (7-0, 7 KOs) on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr. vs. James DeGale on February 23.
Bryan managed to drop Stiverne twice, with the referee stopping the fight shortly after the second knockdown, at the middle of round eleven.
[25] In July 2011, he volunteered at the Welcome Hall Mission in Montreal, to offer training and inspiration to local homeless youth.