Deontay Wilder: “Robert has a warrior’s heart, like mine”

Deontay Wilder, the strong American puncher, and the also devastating Finn Robert Helenius are aware that their future in boxing depends on the result of their confrontation on Oct. 15^th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The elimination fight gives the winner the opportunity to fight for the WBC title.

In his previous fight last October, Deontay Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) was defeated in the 11^th round by Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It was the third fight between them.

Two years earlier, Fury “The Gypsy King” snatched the WBC belt from Wilder by spectacular seventh-round knockout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas where Wilder was making his tenth defense of the belt.

Wilder, born 36 years ago in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, says that after the loss he walked away from boxing completely and even stopped watching other fights for a long time. During that stage of denial, in some interviews he hinted that perhaps the third fight against Fury would be the last of his professional career.

In an interview with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), Wilder said, “I didn’t at all [keep up with anything in the sport]. My wife goes to fights and watches way more than I do. When I’m away, I’m away. I go missing in action on purpose. I’m a renaissance man. I’m more than just boxing. I’m more than just an athlete.”

But as time heals all wounds, even mental ones, the “Bronze Bomber” opened the doors to a new confrontation. On May 25^th, with the inauguration of a full-size statue in his honor in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, there was a ray of hope for his return. Pertaining to his retirement, Wilder said, “Not at this moment in time. You know, I’ve been highly requested … So many people were telling me ‘Come back, come back.’ So, I’d say I’m back by popular demand. The business of boxing needs me. I can’t stop right here. But I must continue my journey. I have to, I have to.”

Wilder’s fans welcomed his statements and quickly the list of possible rivals emerged on different websites and on social networks. Then it was revealed that on October 15^th, Wilder will face Robert Helenius, ranked second by the WBA and fourth by the WBC. Ranked number one by the WBC, Wilder is anxious to beat Helenius (31-3, 20 KOs) to maintain that privileged place and have the option of fighting for the crown that Fury owns, or perhaps an elimination bout against either Andy “El Destructor” Ruiz (35-0, 22 KOs) or the Cuban, Frank “El Relampago” Sanchez, ranked 2^nd and 3^rd respectively by the WBC.

Wilder recently stated, “I have three, maybe four years left, and then I’m completely done. I’ve done great with my finances. I make more money outside of the ring than inside of the ring. To even get in the ring, I need to have a certain minimum. It feels good to make a decision about when and what you want to do. I’m not coming back to the sport because I need to. And it’s a great feeling to be on the opposite side because most of the time [other boxers] need money.”

Commenting on the match-up against the “Nordic Nightmare Helenius which will be broadcast on FOX pay-per-view, Wilder noted, “I always want a good match-up. Robert has been on a winning streak, and he’s here. With Robert, I think he’s gotten even more confident because he’s been sparring with me for many years. And I’m sure he’s trying to do some things that I’ve never seen before. And the one thing I like about Robert is that he has a warrior’s heart, just like me.”

The 38-year-old Helenius was born in Stockholm, Sweden and settled in Finland. His last three victories were all by TKO. He lost prior to that to American Gerald “El Gallo Negro” Washington by KO in the eighth round.

Wilder feels rejuvenated and expressed that his training has been different from previous ones. “We’ve been doing 30 or 40 rounds nonstop. Only time I get water is during the break. I’ve just been doing things like that to challenge myself, doing things that have never been done before, or that you don’t really do in boxing. I wanted to see how my body adjusts to the long length of time without a break. When you can go a long time without taking a break, you’re in shape.”

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Article submitted by Jorge Juan Alvarez in Spanish.

Please note that any errors in translation were unintentional.