By Adam Baskin: Deontay Wilder weighed in at a thin 214 1/2 lbs on Friday at the weigh-in for his comeback fight against Robert Helenius this Saturday night on FOX Sports pay-per-view. Helenius (31-3, 20 KOs) weighed 253 1/4 lbs and will enjoy a 39.75 lb weight advantage over Wilder.
The weight differential between the two fighters is massive, and it could prove too much for Wilder if Helenius can use his size to his advantage the way Tyson Fury did against ‘The Bronze Bomber.’ It’s in Helenius’ best interest to lean on Wilder as often as much as he can to wear down his pipestem legs.
The 6’7″ Deontay is coming into this fight 23 1.2 pounds lighter than in his last contest against the ‘Gypsy King’ Fury last October. For that fight, Wilder weighed 238 lbs, which was a career-high for him.
Before that fight, Wilder had frequently weighed in the low 220s and below and shown a lot of speed & stamina. But at 238, Wilder was exhausted by the third round and much slower & sluggish than he’d been in past fights.
For the Helenius match, Wilder has worked out on the track, doing a lot of running to trim down and build his stamina up to where it had been in the past.
Helenius to counter Wilder
“I’ve been working on a lot of footwork and a lot of jabs, so you’re going to see a good moving Helenius and fast,” said Robert Helenius to Fight Hub TV. “Sometimes when I come back from a loss, I’m much better. It doesn’t matter.
“If you have your mind right, you’re going to do good,” said Helenius when asked if Deontay Wilder will be negatively affected by his recent loss to Tyson Fury.
“I’ve been struggling towards world championships for 25 years. This is my big chance to shine, and I’ve done everything in my power to prove myself.
“I think in boxing, it’s very important to let your hands go. Of course, you have to be a bit tactical as well. Wilder is a fast, explosive guy, so I have to be fully there and ready all the time and ready for 12 rounds of war.
“That’s not going to happen with me. I’ve been doing a lot of work on that,” said Helenius about avoiding Wilder’s right hand. “I’m a good counter striker, and I hit good from my back foot,” said Helenius.
