Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is putting in the work ahead of an October 15 comeback against Robert Helenius.
Wilder is back in business after almost a year out of the ring and says he’s sparring 307 rounds in 12 days this month.
Deontay Wilder in training
“The Bronze Bomber” has been spotted on his old stomping ground of Las Vegas as he continues preparations for the giant Finn.
Wilder vs Helenius happens at Barclays Center in just under two months. Al Haymon has put the wheels in motion on a Pay Per View semi-finals between Wilder, Andy Ruiz Jr, Helenius, and Luis Ortiz.
Both fights are WBC eliminators. Therefore, whoever wins the mini-tournament will be the mandatory challenger.
If current ruler Tyson Fury retires this month, the winners would undoubtedly have a chance of battling it out for the vacant belt.
Asked about Fury’s possible walking away from the sport, Wilder stated: “I think he’s going to have to retire. He’s going to have to. It’s a lot of stuff going on.
“I’m not going to even get into it, but it’s looking like he’s going to have to. I can’t give too much information out. I don’t really wanna discuss it.”
Usyk or Joshua
Meanwhile, Wilder also has his eye on a potential fight with Oleksandr Usyk or even Anthony Joshua.
Asked about his power and whether it would be effective against the elusive Usyk, Wilder said: “Anyone can be lined up for it.
“Certain people are trickier than others. Some are more simplistic than others. But when you do it right, all can be lined up,” he told fightype.com.
On Joshua, the 36-year-old revealed he was offered the fight before the Briton lost to Usyk.
“They tried to lock me in for insurance because they knew he wouldn’t win. This is strictly a business, Not a sport. There’s a difference.”
Looking for another world title shot
As Joshua’s career turns downward, Wilder aims to get back on the up. He needs a big knockout against Helenius to reignite that fire.
If he can do it, Ruiz should be next, and one of the sport’s most exciting non-heavyweight title fights will be on the cards.
One thing is for sure; he’s doing the work for it.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
