There is a cult song by Roy Jones Jr. called “Y’all Must’ve Forgot,” and if any boxer today embodies that ethos it is Deontay Wilder. The “Bronze Bomber” only needed two minutes and fifty-seven seconds to viciously knock out Robert Helenius at the Barclays Center and the doubts that came with his return to the squared circle.
Wilder let Helenius feel him out, pushed him around, literally, and backed into the ropes making the Swede believe he wanted to draw out the action. However, the Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native had other plans.
DEONTAY WILDER KO IN THE FIRST ROUND!!! 😱😱😱 pic.twitter.com/XEWjlUhHOp
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) October 16, 2022
“I set him up,” said Wilder during the post-fight interview. “I allowed him to reach and when he reached I attacked. It was a great fight. It’s been a good camp for me. We worked to make this fun for me. We work at this so much that it can just become a job. We made it fun again. We put in over 700 rounds and it paid off tonight big time.”
Headlining at Barclays Center for the fifth time in his career, Wilder added yet another devastating highlight to his résumé at the arena in Brooklyn and credited the fight’s setting for adding inspiration to his triumph.
“It’s just amazing to be back in Brooklyn,” said Wilder. “It’s like a second home to me. It feels so good to be back. When I got off the plane, I felt the great energy and the love, and that’s all I needed.”
After a mostly cautious first round, in which Wilder only landed three punches according to CompuBox, Wilder caught a lunging Helenius with a short right hand that has ended the nights of numerous heavyweights over the last decade plus.
“It’s been a good camp for me,” said Wilder. “We worked to make this fun for me. We work at this so much that it can just become a job. We made it fun again. We put in over 700 rounds and it paid off tonight big time.”
Now Wilder wants to taste gold again, and immediately after the win, he started saying names and turned his attention toward a second reign as heavyweight world champion.
“I’ve been hearing rumors about (unified heavyweight champion) Oleksandr Usyk but he’s not here is he?” said Wilder. “When guys see these knockouts they turn the corner away from me. I’m ready for whatever. Whether it’s Andy Ruiz Jr. or Usyk, I’m ready. Deontay is back, and the excitement in the heavyweight division is back.”
Earlier in the week, Wilder also said he is eyeing a faceoff against British superstar Anthony Joshua, who took two losses to Oleksandr Usyk. The fight would be huge, primarily if fought in the United Kingdom, where Wilder hasn’t fought since 2013. Wilder took two vicious losses to the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, and many questioned his relevance in the heavyweight division.
Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury now hold all the belts and are on a collision course for the undisputed championship in 2023. Deontay Wilder may never get that opportunity, but he hopes to become a two-time world champion and solidify his place in the Boxing Hall of Fame.
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