Deontay Wilder has revealed he’s sparred 424 rounds in the last sixteen days with another world title shot the ultimate goal.
Boxing power-puncher Wilder is going hell for leather to beat Robert Helenius by sparring an unreal average of 26.5 rounds per day.
“The Alabama Slammer” is deep in preparations for a battle with the giant Finn on Pay Per View. Wilder has around five weeks left to get into his best shape.
Deontay Wilder
A win over the former European champion puts Wilder in position for a WBC heavyweight title shot. Both his and stablemate Andy Ruiz Jr’s next bouts got sanctioned by the World Boxing Council as eliminators.
Ruiz played his part by dropping Luis Ortiz three times for a unanimous win last week. That scenario means they are on course to face each other for a chance at the championship.
Current ruler Tyson Fury is in limbo for the undisputed crown or a WBC voluntary fight. Fights with Anthony Joshua or Mahmoud Charr remain off the table for now.
The Fury situation makes Wilder vs Helenius even more critical, just in case of another shock retirement.
Wilder can earn an undisputed opportunity with just two victories. A far cry from losing two fights on the spin to Fury.
Provided “The Bronze Bomber” defeats Helenius – as expected, the mega-money Ruiz Pay Per View encounter becomes a massive affair.
WBC eliminator
WBN understands that the resulting clash will get sanctioned as a mandatory eliminator, with even the possibility of an interim title on the line.
Therefore, Wilder or Ruiz will earn a stipulated shot at Fury once he completes a predicted two-event Middle East saga with Oleksandr Usyk in 2023.
Fury vs Usyk does mean that Wilder would have to tread water for the remainder of the year should he defeat Helenius and Ruiz.
Promoter Tom Brown knows just how important Wilder vs Helenius is. The former WBC ruler has something to prove after he lost via stoppage twice to Fury.
“Deontay Wilder has established himself as a must-see. Live or on TV, because of his incredible knockout prowess,” said Brown.
“To have him make his return to boxing against another power puncher in Robert Helenius at Barclays Center in Brooklyn adds another element of excitement to an outstanding card.
Helenius will aim to put Wilder entirely out of the picture after his two wins over Adam Kownacki. “The Nordic Nightmare” is notoriously tricky to halt in his tracks.
PBC raised some eyebrows at the choice of opponent. However, as Wilder regularly professes, he only has to land one devastating punch through the twelve rounds for the contest to be over potentially.
Tyson Fury’s title
A win over Helenius leads to a massive battle with Ruiz. The winner of that gets an undisputed crack provided Usyk vs Fury gets over the line.
If not, the WBC will stipulate the title for Wilder or Ruiz – with or without the involvement of Fury in the future.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
