Deontay Wilder didn’t need too long to get Robert Helenius out of the ring following another devastating knockout in New York.
“The Bronze Bomber” cocked his hand back on the retreat with three seconds left of the first round. As Helenius walked in, the giant Finn went straight into Wilder’s half a punch and got wiped out.
Helenius hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and took a long time to recover. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he didn’t know where he was.
The new lighter Wilder seems just as menacing as ever.
If this is how he makes a comeback, every heavyweight in the division is now on notice – including Tyson Fury.
Deontay Wilder vs Andy Ruiz Jr
Asked who he wanted next after scoring the 42nd knockout in a 43rd victory, Wilder mentioned the absent Oleksandr Usyk and PBC rival Andy Ruiz Jr.
Although coach Malik Scott stated he didn’t want the Tuscaloosa puncher to fight Ruiz, WBN understands that Al Haymon wants the pair to fight in Las Vegas next year.
Both won WBC eliminators, meaning the World Boxing Council will sanction a fight between the pair as mandatory for Fury.
Caleb Plant lived up to his name by planting Anthony Dirrell on the canvas with ten seconds left of the ninth round.
After being ribbed over his power, Plant unleashed an excruciating uppercut that was worrying when it first landed. Dirrell was prone and out of it for a few seconds after the referee called the fight off.
Plant is back in the big time with the victory and on his way to another title shot.
Heavyweight force Frank Sanchez landed a hellacious shot in the ninth round sending Carlos Negron through the ropes.
Before the fight-ending blow, Sanchez seemed the most likely to get the knockout from the pair.
Negron rose from the blow. However, it only took a minor threat for the referee to step in and save Negron from further punishment.
Sanchez is now 21 wins without defeat and remains on the path to a world heavyweight title opportunity.
Early action
Gary Antonio Russell looked out of sorts as he struggled to get to grips with the style of Manny Rodriguez. Russell kept losing rounds as trainer, brother, and former world champion Gary Russell tried to snap him out of it.
Rodriguez racked up the rounds until the eighth, when a superbly timed shot put Russell down hard. The bell rang as the count continued, but Russell just made it.
As Russell got time to recover, he was still on shaking legs in the ninth. Then, the same incident that halted their first meeting earlier this year in 16 seconds happened again.
A sickening accidental clash of heads put Rodriguez out of commission as he broke a cheekbone and was forced out of the fight.
WBN Editor Phil Jay has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews, Instagram, and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
