Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius: Everything You Need To Know
Heavy leather will float through the atmosphere Saturday, when knockout artist Deontay Wilder makes his long-awaited return to the ring to take on Sweden's Robert Helenius.
Here's everything you need to know before the pivotal heavyweight clash.
What's on the line?
In short, a spot at the top.
Neither Wilder nor Helenius is in possession of a heavyweight belt coming into Saturday, but conventional wisdom says the winner will be in line for potential matchups with Tyson Fury, Andy Ruiz Jr. or Anthony Joshua in the near future.
How can I watch?
Fight fans can watch the heavyweight tilt on FOX Sports PBC pay-per-view. Order today!
What is Wilder's career status?
Wilder was last seen in the ring a year ago Sunday, when he and Fury completed their trilogy Oct. 9 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Wilder first fought Fury to a draw Dec. 1, 2018 at Staples Center (now known as Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles. Their second bout took place Feb. 22, 2020 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Fury earning a dramatic seventh-round TKO to wrest the WBC title from Wilder's grasp.
In their third fight, Fury decisively stopped Wilder in his tracks via an 11th-round knockout.
Now, Wilder is looking to resume a dominant heavyweight career that consists of 42 wins and 41 KOs.
His two defeats have come at the hands of Fury, who remains the WBC heavyweight champ.
What is Helenius' career status?
Helenius, although not a household heavyweight name, comes into Saturday with a record of 31-3, having won his past three fights via TKO. None of those bouts went past the sixth round.
The 38-year-old Swedish-Finnish boxer also compares to Wilder in stature, considering both men stand 6-foot-7. Wilder checks in at 238 pounds, while Helenius weighs 246.
The undercard
Leading up to Wilder-Helenius, a huge fight will take place Saturday at super middleweight, as Caleb Plant (21-1, 12 KOs) takes on Anthony Dirrell (34-2-2, 24 KOs), with both men looking to carve their way back into title contention.
Plant's lone loss came in his last fight, an 11th-round TKO loss to Canelo Álvarez. Dirrell has won seven of his past nine bouts, logging just one defeat and one draw since 2015.
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