Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius | FITE tv - 15 October 2022

[Ruthless-RKO]

Undercard Press Release

Two exciting high-stakes showdowns have been added to the jam-packed four-fight FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event headlined by the return of former WBC Heavyweight World Champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder as he takes top-rated Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius on Saturday, October 15 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The telecast will feature undefeated Cuban sensation Frank Sanchez battling Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron in a 10-round heavyweight duel, while top bantamweight contenders Gary Antonio Russell and Emmanuel Rodriguez meet in a 12-round rematch opening the pay-per-view telecast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

In the co-feature, former IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant faces two-time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell in a WBC Super Middleweight Title Eliminator between 168-pound rivals.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by BombZquad Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through seatgeek.com and barclayscenter.com. Tickets are also available for purchase in-person at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

An amateur standout from his native Cuba, Sánchez (20-0, 13 KOs) now trains in California with renowned trainer Joe Goossen. The 30-year-old has remained busy on his rise up the heavyweight rankings, scoring three victories in 2020 as he earned a unanimous decision over Joey Dawejko and stopped Brian Howard and Julian Fernandez. Sanchez caught boxing fan’s attention when he scored a career-best win in October 2021, dropping the previously unbeaten Efe Ajagba on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Sanchez kicked off the New Year with a 10-round decision triumph against Christian Hammer in his last fight.

The 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian Negron (25-3, 20 KOs) was scheduled to meet Sanchez on January 1 but had to withdraw from the fight after testing positive for COVID-19. Negron rides a five-fight winning streak into the match against Sanchez, including four wins by stoppage. The 34-year-old bounced back from defeats to Dominic Breazeale and Brian Howard to put together his win streak, which includes a March 2020 knockout over previously unbeaten Robert Alfonso. He scored an eight round unanimous decision over Scott Alexander in his last fight in May 2021. Negron has fought professionally since 2009 and now lives in Miami where he trains alongside Luis Ortiz.

The 29-year-old Russell (19-0, 12 KOs) originally met the former champion Rodriguez in August 2021, but an accidental clash of heads ended the fight as a no-contest before the first round was completed. The middle brother between WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Jr. and 2016 U.S. Olympian Gary Antuanne, Russell returned to the ring after the Rodriguez bout to earn a decision victory over Alexis Santiago in November 2021. Fighting out of Capitol Heights, Maryland, Russell also owns a decision victory over former world champion Juan Carlos Payano in December 2020.

Fighting out of Manati, Puerto Rico, Rodríguez (20-2, 13 KOs) has also added a victory since his first clash with Russell, knocking out Roberto Sanchez Cantu in March. The 30-year-old won the IBF Bantamweight World Title with a unanimous decision victory over Paul Butler in 2018 and successfully defended it against then-unbeaten Jason Moloney. Rodríguez went on to lose the title to unbeaten champion Naoya Inoue in their May 2019 title bout.

[Lenny Cravats]

Wilder will knock his block off.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Robert Helenius discusses past sparring with Deontay Wilder and channeling “Viking spirit” for Oct. 15 fight

Robert Helenius refuses for his name to be tossed onto a scrap-heap of faded heavyweights.

The Finnish heavyweight has amassed a 31-3 (20 KO) record over 14 years as a professional heavyweight, and tells Bad Left Hook that he has found a new love for boxing ahead of his Oct. 15 fight against a returning Deontay Wilder.

“I’ve gone back to my roots,” Helenius explains, deep in camp on Åland Island, in the middle of the Baltic Sea. “Life is simpler out here. I have my own gym and I can train whenever I want.

“Plus, I am also left alone. The population is only around 25,000 here, so people soon get bored of spotting me and saying hello,” he adds with a laugh.

“I’m channeling that Viking spirit,” he continued. “I’ve made such a commitment to eating properly over the last couple of years and I’m beginning to see a massive difference. I’ve cut out all carbs and focused on eating meats and eggs; I guess you could say Rocky-style. It seems to suit my body, which would make sense as that’s what all my ancestors would have eaten.”

Helenius speaks calmly and with an unmistakable confidence. His 6’7” frame aids this self-assurance, but he hasn’t always been able to hold his head high in the sport. Unlikely back-to-back victories over Adam Kownacki have seen his stock rise immeasurably following a career of scattered opportunities, some in boxing’s wilderness across Europe.

“It’s been a tough road for me in the sport,” he continued. “I have had plenty of ups and downs over 25 years, amateur and pro, but this fight gives me the opportunity to move a step closer to what I’ve always dreamed of: fighting for a heavyweight world title. We’re making sure that everything is right for this fight. I can’t let an opportunity like this pass without giving 100 percent.”

Helenius is no stranger to Deontay Wilder. The pair have shared numerous rounds of sparring prior to the “Bronze Bomber’s” trilogy fights with Tyson Fury, and if it wasn’t for their upcoming fight, would consider themselves friends. This familiarity also extends to the American’s dynamite right hand; something that Helenius has had first-hand experience in receiving.

“I’ve tried a couple of those; I don’t plan to try any more. They are explosive. But we’ve done a lot in this camp to try and help avoid getting hit by one of his big shots and, to be honest, that’s what my best attributes are in general. We’ve worked a lot on head movement, reaction time, and footwork. This is what enabled me to be so successful as an amateur so it comes pretty naturally to me.

“But Deontay is a good dude. We’ve shared plenty of good moments in camps, but he knows as well as I do that it’s purely business now. I’m not that kind of guy that is going to talk smack about another fighter, anyway. But I am happy to turn my emotions off and show aggression inside the ring.”

If irons sharpen irons, then Helenius’ tools should be well honed. He has shared previous camps with Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin, Anthony Joshua, and David Haye, as well as gaining priceless experience from over 250 amateur fights across the globe. He is the definition of seasoned and is a true believer that heavyweights can reach their peak at a mature age.

“I’m ready to bring my A-game,” he said. “Being an underdog has always suited me. It fires me up way more than when I am in danger of overlooking an opponent. The adrenaline will be pumping like never before on Saturday and that will help me.

“Aggression is going to be key in this fight. I am going to need to push Deontay forward and not let him dictate the pace. He is an excellent boxer; he has shown this time and time again.”

Wilder hasn’t fought since a second loss to Tyson Fury in October last year. His record now reads 42-2-1 (41 KO), with the “Gypsy King” holding the mantle of the only fighter that Wilder hasn’t been able to keep glued to the canvas as a professional. But Helenius doesn’t feel that these back-to-back losses will overly affect the mindset of the Alabama fighter.

“I’m preparing as if Wilder is still unbeaten,” he insists. “I don’t believe the Fury fights will have taken too much out of him. Plus, he was able to show real improvements in the third fight. I’m in the best shape of my life, and due to my conditioning, I should be able to stay fully switched on for the whole 12 rounds, something that other fighters have struggled with against Wilder.

“If anything, he has shown a real toughness in his last two fights with Fury, something that we didn’t really know prior to that, so I am going to have to be prepared for this. At the end of the day, Wilder is just another obstacle in the way of me achieving my dream.”

Helenius is convinced that he has put in all the necessary work to end their contest inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, as the victor. A dedicated schedule of a morning eight kilometre run and afternoon boxing work is bookended by the devouring of a “kilogram of meat,” and his ability to avoid any serious injuries for the first time in his career is unearthing new benefits.

But whatever the result, Helenius is in the business of squeezing as much life out of his career as possible.

“There are plenty of good years left in me,” he says with conviction.

Life is sweet for the “Nordic Nightmare,” and his refusal to drink in the Last Chance Saloon is what makes him a live underdog against Wilder.

[Ruthless-RKO]

10 days to go..

No news on UK broadcaster yet.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Wilder has retirement plans set..

Wants to fight 9 more times..

[Glass Joe]

Love a wilder fight will be watching this down the river

[quickeyg]

Wilder has retirement plans set..

Wants to fight 9 more times..

Wilder cannot keep Tyson Furys name out of his mouth along with his Wakanda fans.

Something has been taken out of him. He owes Al and Finkel a fight or 2 - he looks desperate.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Wilder has retirement plans set..

Wants to fight 9 more times..

Wilder cannot keep Tyson Furys name out of his mouth along with his Wakanda fans.

Something has been taken out of him. He owes Al and Finkel a fight or 2 - he looks desperate.

That’s how he stays relevant.

[cormack]

its just a comeback warm up job for wilder - he will carry helenius for a while to get some work maybe even the 12 .
Then the gob will start about how he is going to cleanup the division etc

[Ruthless-RKO]

Let’s see if it gets picked up by anyone in the UK.

[Glass Joe]

Let’s see if it gets picked up by anyone in the UK.

its on fife

[Ruthless-RKO]

Let’s see if it gets picked up by anyone in the UK.

its on fife

I checked earlier today. Wasnt showing.

[Glass Joe]

check again

[KiwiRider]

Wilder has retirement plans set..

Wants to fight 9 more times..

Wilder cannot keep Tyson Furys name out of his mouth along with his Wakanda fans.

Something has been taken out of him. He owes Al and Finkel a fight or 2 - he looks desperate.

He should be fairly OK with Helenius, the Viking seems like a prime Wilder opponent.

[Ruthless-RKO]

They expect people in the UK to folk out $15 for this..

At 2am..

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release | Undercard

Rising prospect Vito Mielnicki Jr. will return to action facing Limberth Ponce in an 8/10-round super welterweight showdown that headlines PBC Prelims on FS2 and FOX Deportes this Saturday, October 15 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The FS2 telecast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT and also features unbeaten top lightweight contender Michel Rivera battling California’s Jerry Pérez in an eight-round matchup, and undefeated heavyweight Gurgen Hovhannisyan in an eight-round showdown against Bronx-native Michael Coffie that kicks off the telecast.

Prelims will precede a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View event at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT headlined by the return of boxing superstar and former longtime heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder as he takes on hard-hitting Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius in a WBC Heavyweight Title Eliminator.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by BombZquad Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through seatgeek.com and barclayscenter.com. Tickets are also available for purchase in-person at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center.

Representing Roseland, New Jersey, Mielnicki (12-1, 8 KOs) returns to fight at Barclays Center for the second-straight fight after stopping Jimmy Williams in six-rounds in July. The 20-year-old will look to add a third victory to his 2022 record, after kicking the year off with a unanimous decision over Dan Karpency in April. Mielnicki first turned heads during his exceptional amateur career where he compiled a 147-22 record and was named the Most Outstanding Boxer of the 2011 Junior National Golden Gloves, amongst many accolades before turning pro.

Born in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, Ponce (19-5, 11 KOs) fights out of Rock Island, Illinois throughout his pro career that dates back to 2012. The 31-year-old won eight of nine fights before dropping a December 2021 bout against unbeaten Joey Spencer. Most recently, Ponce scored a unanimous decision over Ramiro Hernandez in May.

Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and now fighting out of Miami, Fla. Rivera (23-0, 14 KOs) burst onto the scene in 2019, making his U.S. debut with a victory over Rene Tellez Giron. The 24-year-old continued his ascent with five more victories in 2020 and 2021 including knockouts of Jon Fernandez and Anthony Mercado. Most recently Rivera dominated the previously unbeaten Joseph Adorno on his way to a unanimous decision in March.

Trained alongside four-division champion Leo Santa Cruz and his family, Pérez (14-1, 11 KOs) bounced back from an April 2021 defeat against top lightweight contender Frank Martin by knocking out Erick Lanzas Jr. in May. The 29-year-old from Oak Hills, California had put together a three-fight knockout streak heading into the Martin fight, which included a 2020 KO of then once-beaten Joshua Zuniga.

The 24-year-old Hovhannisyan (3-0, 3 KOs) has delivered three consecutive knockouts since turning pro in September 2021. Originally from Yerevan, Armenia, he now fights out of Los Angeles as he looks to bolster his heavyweight resume. Most recently, Hovhannisyan blasted out Jesse Bryan on his way to a second round knockout in May.

Coffie (13-2, 10 KOs) hopes to continue his climb back to contention after back-to-back defeats to Jonny Rice in July 2021 and January of this year. A Marine Corps veteran who picked up boxing after returning from overseas, Coffie quickly impressed in amateur tournaments enough to earn sparring assignments with Deontay Wilder and Adam Kownacki. He was born in the Bronx, but now trains in Orlando, Florida and most recently knocked out Fulgencio Zuniga in July.

The non-televised undercard lineup will include unbeaten super bantamweight prospects Michael Angeletti (6-0, 5 KOs) and Jeremy Adorno (7-0, 3 KOs) in a six-round showdown, welterweight prospect Keeshawn Williams (9-1-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round matchup against Julio Rosa (5-1, 2 KOs), Cuban heavyweight Geovany Bruzón (7-1, 6 KOs) battling the unbeaten James Evans Jr. (4-0-1, 6 KOs) in a four/six round bout and unbeaten super bantamweight prospect Miguel Román (2-0) taking on fellow unbeaten José Negrete (2-0, 2 KOs).

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Dioufy]

The people at FITE must be smoking something good if they expect people to pay a tenner for this. In the early hours.

[handsofstone]

PBC are an odd bunch, no front man, fighters always inactive, no interest in getting TV deals in UK unlike Golden Boy and Top Rank, they barely promote boxing and nearly every card is PPV

[maverick23]

The people at FITE must be smoking something good if they expect people to pay a tenner for this. In the early hours.

It’s no issue for Fite. They wouldn’t have paid for the fight - they’d just be on a rev share with PBC and the cost of actually showing it is minimal as they’ll just use a pre-existing feed. It’d be PBC who set the price too.

It’s just PBC being greedy.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The people at FITE must be smoking something good if they expect people to pay a tenner for this. In the early hours.

It’s no issue for Fite. They wouldn’t have paid for the fight - they’d just be on a rev share with PBC and the cost of actually showing it is minimal as they’ll just use a pre-existing feed. It’d be PBC who set the price too.

It’s just PBC being greedy.

Honestly they should just do a partnership with FITE for UK fans.

AEW, NWA, Triller and Top Rank have it. Some higher than others. Like £4.99 a month and we get all PBC cards. They usually have at least 1 or 2 cards guarantee a month.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Just weighed in



Helenius - 253
Wilder - 214.5

[Ruthless-RKO]

Here are the weights:

Heavyweights – 12 Rounds
Deontay Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs), 214½ pounds vs. Robert Helenius (31-3, 20 KOs), 253¼ pounds

Super Middleweights – 12 Rounds
Caleb Plant (21-1, 12 KOs), 167¼ pounds vs. Anthony Dirrell (34-2-2, 25 KOs), 167¾ pounds

Heavyweights – 10 Rounds
Frank Sanchez (20-0, 13 KOs), 247¾ pounds vs. Carlos Negron (25-3, 20 KOs), 244½ pounds

Bantamweights – 12 Rounds
Gary Antonio Russell (19-0, 12 KOs), 116½ pounds vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez (20-2, 12 KOs), 117¾ pounds

[golden_labrador]

oh wow it's this weekend already. as long as it goes past 4 rounds I'll be happy, but I can see the Wilder of old twatting the nordic nightmare into next week early on.

[golden_labrador]

I've never watched Helenius at a weigh-in before, but he looked nervous