By Craig Page: Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) knocked out Robert Helenius (31-4, 20 KOs) in the first round in a highlight reel knockout that left no doubt on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Wilder lulled his old sparring partner Helenius to sleep by staying on his bike until landing a single right hand that put his lights out.
As much as boxing fans would have liked to have seen Helenius get back up, there would be no coming back. The fight was stopped on the stop, giving Wilder his 42nd career knockout victory.
Wilder now wants to know who’s next. He says he’d like to fight IBF/WBA/WBO unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, but if he’s not interested, Wilder says Andy Ruiz Jr could be an option.
It’s fair to say that the way Wilder looked tonight, a rematch with Tyson Fury would be a great option. The speed that Deontay showed tonight at 214 lbs would give the lumbering Fury all kinds of problems, especially the movement.
Fury took advantage of Wilder being stationary in his two knockout victories over him. In both of those fights, Wilder weighed in over 230 lbs, and he was a lot slower than he looked tonight at a lower weight against Helenius.
Who’s next? I’ve been hearing rumors about Usyk. I see he isn’t in the building or is he? I’m down for Andy Ruiz, Usyk, or whoever. Deontay Wilder is back. The excitement in the heavyweight division is back.”
“Many people worried about my weight and what I would come in at and different things, but we went back to the basic of things,” said Deontay Wilder during the post-fight press conference after defeating Robert Helenius by s first round knockout.
“I wanted to come in at my happy weight, and my happy weight is what it is. I wanted to come in lower. God blessed me with power. He didn’t bless me with size. That’s why I can hang with these guys that outweigh me by 20, 30, 40, and even 50 pounds.
“Once you go above God’s regimen for you, sometimes things happen. You have to go back to what got you there, and I went back to what got me there.
“My defense is my athleticism. My quickness is my athleticism, and it was an amazing night tonight. There’s something about this place. It’s special in Brooklyn,” said Wilder.
