Helenius-Willams & Klitschko-Wach doubleheader on EPIX

By Boxing News - 10/23/2012 - Comments

Image: Helenius-Willams & Klitschko-Wach doubleheader on EPIXBy Jason Kim: American boxing fans are getting a great deal through EPIX with their November 10th split site doubleheader. They’ll be showing IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko’s title defense against Mariusz Wach from Hamburg, Germany, and unbeaten heavyweight contender Robert Helenius (17-0, 11 KO’s) making his comeback against journeyman Sherman Williams (35-11-2, 19 KO’s) from the Ice Hall, in Helsinki, Finland.

Helenius, 28, hasn’t fought since tearing up his right shoulder in his controversial 12 round split decision win over Dereck Chisora last December in Helsinki, Finland. Helenius fought well enough to lose that fight, but was instead given a controversial hometown decision. The win came at a cost, however, as Helenius badly injured his right shoulder and subsequently needed surgery to repair the problem.

It’s unknown if Helenius’ shoulder will ever be the same. This fight against the 40-year-old Williams should give Helenius’ management a pretty good idea of whether he has the same power he once did. If not, then Helenius’ chances of winning a future world championship will be greatly reduced because his main weapon in his arsenal was his right hand, and if you take that away then he’s not that great of a fighter.

The 6’6″ Helenius still has a good left hook, but that’s not enough of a weapon for him to beat the better heavyweights in the division like Kubrat Pulev, Denis Boytsov, and Tyson Fury. Helenius doesn’t have much of a jab despite being such a huge fighter, and that makes it necessary for him to make up for it by having good power in his shots.

Even if his right shoulder isn’t the same as it once was, Helenius should have little problems against the 5’11” Sherman Williams. Helenius can win this fight easily, but he’ll have to take a handful of big right hands in the process though. Williams has good power for a short fighter and he’ll definitely be testing Helenius’ chin in the early rounds at least.

Williams pulled off a huge upset in defeating heavyweight contender Chauncy Welliver by a 12 round majority decision last June in China. Williams wasn’t supposed to win the fight but he really took the fight to Welliver and pounded him to earn the decision. In his fight before that, Williams staggered 49-year-old Evander Holyfield twice and looked to be on his way to stopping him when the fight was halted after Holyfield sustained a cut in the 3rd round.



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