Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius preview & prediction

Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder faces Robert Helenius on Saturday live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Heavyweight boxing is back on Saturday as one of the division’s most polarizing names will be set to headline a card live on FOX Sports PPV. Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Wilder (42-2-1) faces the No. 5 contender Robert Helenius (31-3). Wilder returns to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, where he has seen his fair share of past successes.

This is an interesting fight, as there are several storylines to consider when looking at this match—beginning with Helenius, who has spent the last year or two as Wilder’s leading sparring partner. We all understand it’s sparring, and the level of intensity will be notches lower than an actual fight, as the point is to work on things and not knock the other person out. Even though this is the case, you still get some tips on tendencies and things that the other fighter may or may not like. Since Helenius has those recent experiences with Wilder, it gives him a little edge compared to other fighters who went into it only seeing footage of Wilder.

The other storyline is that Helenius is coming off of back-to-back victories over the popular and former top contender Adam Kownacki (20-3). Those two TKO victories were a confidence booster as Kownacki is tough and was on the verge of getting a title shot until he met Helenius. Given his confidence and experience with sparring, Helenius has a good shot at upsetting the ‘Bronze Bomber.’ The concern is that Helenius’ chin may not hold up if Wilder lands one of those devastating right hands. If he has learned anything from Wilder’s previous fights and sparring, it’s that he doesn’t do well on his back foot, and he will have to find a way to keep the pressure on him. Easier said than done.

Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius can be streamed live on the FOX Sports App ($74.99).

Wilder, on the other hand, is coming off two straight losses against Tyson Fury (32-0-1), which will go down as a classic in the rich history of the heavyweight division. Fury exploited Wilder’s inability to fight backward and used every bit of his super heavyweight frame to wear down Wilder. The last time Wilder was in the ring, he was knocked out by Fury, and many didn’t know if the 36-year-old former champion would return, considering the way he lost. But after taking a much-needed break from the sport, Wilder has been honored with a statue of himself in his hometown of Tuscaloosa, AL, and dropped a music single called “Everytime” with his brother Marsellos Wilder.

It’s no secret that Wilder picked Helenius because of the familiarity and the fact that he resembles the body type of Fury. Maybe deep down inside, a victory over Helenius will give him some peace about the losses to Fury. Wilder will have his hands full with Helenius, but one thing he doesn’t have to worry about is finding Helenius’ chin because it will be right there for him to hit. The question is whether Wilder has truly moved forward from his trilogy and can return to the Wilder of old, which brings excitement to whichever arena he is fighting in.

So how does this fight unfold, and who wins? I think Helenius will waste no time and pressure Wilder right from the beginning of round one. Wilder will do his best to weather the storm and slowly work in his right hand. Right around the fifth or sixth round, in a blink of an eye, Wilder will land that hammer of a right hand, and the fight will be over. Everyone at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will go crazy, and Wilder will be right back in the conversation for those mega-million fights either domestically or across the pond. Regardless, when Wilder is fighting, fans get excited, so come Saturday night, all eyes will be on the heavyweight division once again, as they should be.