Given that the 28 year-old was coming back from a serious shoulder injury after an eleven-month absence, he could then be forgiven as he struggled to make a dent in an opponent with a seven-inch height disadvantage.
Helenius improved his record to 18-0 with a 99-91, 99-93, 98-93 victory, but will need to do a lot more to convince fight fans that he is ready to be a force against Wladimir Klitschko.
A European title bout against Kubrat Pulev could be in offing for the Finn next, although it could even be argued that Helenius is not yet in a position to oppose the unbeaten Bulgarian for his old title.
