Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has officially announced his return to boxing. Wilder is set to face Robert Helenius on October 15th in Brooklyn. This will be the first time he will compete in the ring since his loss to Tyson Fury last October.
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The Bronze Bomber was contemplating retirement after his iconic trilogy with Fury. However, he has chosen to step back into the squared circle to get his career back on track. Many fans felt that Wilder would not compete in the ring following his retirement, but the former champ unexpectedly announced his return and had a bold reason to do so.
According to boxing analyst Mike Benson, Wilder claimed the reason he wanted to get back in the ring was due to the fans who couldn’t fathom his retirement. Moreover, he told a story about how the people of his hometown celebrated after a statue of him was made there. He stated that he got to see the ’emotions’ of his hometown fans, which made him decide to get back in action.
Deontay Wilder on his return: "Once I got my statue in my hometown and saw so many people arrive and celebrate with me and my family – to see all the emotions, grown men crying in front of their children and saying, 'He is a real true king,' made me feel like my job is not done."
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 17, 2022
“Once I got my statue in my hometown and saw so many people arrive and celebrate with me and my family. To see all the emotions, grown men crying in front of their children and saying, ‘He is a real true king,’ made me feel like my job is not done.” said Wilder.
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After his devastating loss to Fury, many felt a fourth fight could have been a possibility. However, Wilder chose the man who fought on the undercard of the Fury fight in Helenius. The 38-year-old Finnish boxer would certainly be a good test for The Bronze Bomber to get his rhythm back before facing higher-level competition.
Deontay Wilder vs Robert Helenius: Who is the favorite coming into the fight?
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Helenius is a veteran in the sport with 34 fights under his belt and a record of 31-3. The Finnish boxer became a European champion after beating Derek Chisora back in 2011 in a controversial split decision victory. He won his last fight against Adam Kownacki, whom he faced on the undercard of Wilder vs Fury 3. However, Wilder will be the heavy favorite coming into this fight.
The former heavyweight champion has an impeccable record of 42-2-1, with both his losses coming against fury. Moreover, Wilder is cited to be the hardest puncher in the division, with 41 of his wins coming via knockout. This will be an interesting matchup as both fighters are looking to get a shot at heavyweight gold and a win would certainly put them in contention.
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Who do you think will come out on top? Let us know in the comments.