October 16, (THEWILL) – In the early hours of Sunday morning, against Robert Helenius, Deontay Wilder made a spectacular return to the ring one year after suffering his second consecutive knockout loss to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Helenius, Wilder’s sparring partner, was knocked out in the first round inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with one thunderous counter right hand that was so conclusive referee Michael Griffin did not need to count the knockout.
Once again, it was a decisive earmarking of the return of one of the game’s power punchers as it was Wilder’s 21st career knockout in the opening round. The American registered his fifth victory at the Barclays Center, where, in 2019, he also defeated 6ft 7in Dominic Breazeale in the first round.
When a statue honouring Wilder was placed outside the Visitor Centre in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in May, the 36-year-old, who had been debating retirement for months, opted to continue boxing. And, although Helenius backed up his opponent into a corner, the former WBC champion, whose 10 title defences rank fifth best in division history, needed one perfect shot to win.
Helenius’ 6’7″ height and strong frame were supposed to work in his favour against the power of Wilder, but he took a flush right counterpunch as he stepped forward to punch and went down just five seconds before the end of the first round.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
