By Jason Kim: Undefeated heavyweight contender Robert Helenius (15-0, 10 KO’s) takes a slight step down fight against former WBO heavyweight champion Sergiy Liakhovich (25-3, 16 KO’s) next Saturday on August 27th at the Messehalle, in Erfurt, Germany. Helenius, 27, will be defending his WBA Intern-Continental and WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight titles.

Those titles are of less importance than getting a win and moving up higher in the heavyweight rankings so that the 27-year-old Helenius can force one of the Klitschko brothers or the winner of the WBA heavyweight title fight between Alexander Povetkin and Ruslan Chagaev to fight him. As it happens, Chagaev-Povetkin will be taking place on the same card Helenius-Liakhovich fight.

This makes it a natural fight for the winner of the Chagaev-Povetkin bout to face Helenius. However, Chagaev and Povetkin have other ideas, as they both would like to face one of the Klitschko brothers for one of their big stadium fights. You can’t blame them, though, because the money made fighting one of the Klitschkos would be a lot bigger than defending it against a dangerous puncher like Helenius. There’s only risk in facing Helenius, whereas with the Klitschkos at least you get a huge payday in losing.

Helenius, ranked #2 WBO, #3 IBF, #9 WBA, #13 WBC, has looked very good in beating former heavyweight champions Samuel Peter and Lamon Brewster recently. Helenius stopped Peter in the 9th round this past April in a fight where Peter was knocked down twice in the 9th round before the fight was halted. In the Brewster fight, the 6’6″ Helenius dominated the shorter Brewster from start to finish, stopping him in the 8th round.

Liakhovich is badly in need of a win against Helenius to revive his career. Liakhovich has lost two out of his last four fights, but he hasn’t been active regularly in the past four years and has rarely fought. Liakhovich has won his last two fights against fodder opposition and will be taking a big step up against Helenius.