Robert Helenius vs. Siarhei Liakhovich
| Total Punches | Helenius | Liakhovich |
|---|---|---|
| Landed | 140 | 170 |
| Thrown | 527 | 466 |
| Pct. | 27% | 37% |
| Power Punches | Helenius | Liakhovich |
| Landed | 65 | 113 |
| Thrown | 187 | 258 |
| Pct. | 35% | 45% |
| Total Jabs | Helenius | Liakhovich |
| Landed | 75 | 57 |
| Thrown | 340 | 208 |
| Pct. | 22% | 27% |
Robert Helenius 244 lbs beat Siarhei Liakhovich 232 lbs by TKO at 0:19 in round 9 of 12
- Date: 2011-08-27
- Location: Messehalle, Erfurt, Thüringen, Germany
- Referee: Stanley Christodoulou
- Judge: Mikael Hook
- Judge: Glenn Feldman
- Judge: Fernando Laguna
- WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Title (1st defense by Helenius)
- WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Helenius)
Notes
- Liakhovich suffered a broken nose in the 2nd round.
- Liakhovich went down on one knee from an accumulation of punches in round 8.
- In round 9 Helenius landed a vicious left uppercut that staggered an already battered Liakhovich, and then proceeded with a barrage of power punches on a defenseless Liakhovich prompting the referee to stop the fight while Liakhovich was falling to the canvas.
- CompuBox stats: Helenius 140/527 (26.6%), Liakhovich 170/466 (36.5%). Going into the 9th round, neither fighter's activity had dropped below 50 punches per round, except for the first two rounds (Liakhovich 38 punches in the 1st and 44 shots in the 2nd).
- The fight averaged 1.91 million viewers on Das Erste with 16.3 market share.
Boxing Day - Povetkin And Helenius Create Excitement
.PNG)
Michel Massing, Stern, August 30, 2011
Alexander Povetkin and Robert Helenius have breathed new life into the heavyweight division. Under the Klitschko dynasty, there are still exciting fights in boxing's premier class. We take a look at the potential opponents for the new world champion, Alexander Povetkin.
Alexander Povetkin delivered the thriller, Robert Helenius the action, finally allowing us to say again that heavyweight boxing is exciting once more. But no sooner is the action thriller over than boredom threatens to return in the form of Evander Holyfield.
We take a look at heavyweight boxing under the Klitschko era and have identified the potential opponents for the new WBA world champion. But why was Povetkin able to become world champion in the first place?
Title inflation is part of everyday life
Alexander Povetkin and Ruslan Chagaev boxed for the WBA heavyweight world championship on Saturday. This was only possible because the WBA titleholder, Wladimir Klitschko, was suddenly elevated to the status of "Superchamp" by the WBA. The reason lies in the fact that with two titles, the organization can collect twice as many "sanction fees" for a world championship fight. An absurdity, but unfortunately commonplace in the boxing world. So, putting aside the fact that the fight between the two former amateur world champions wasn't a true world title bout, it certainly brought some excitement to the division.
But the second main event of the Erfurt boxing evening was also a real thriller. Finnish boxer Robert Helenius, also under contract with the German Sauerland stable, defeated former world champion Siarhei Liakhovich. So, under the Klitschko dynasty, there are definitely some interesting fights taking place. In the world of ordinary boxers, there's still excitement, and the successors to the dynasty of invincible giants from Ukraine are champing at the bit. So, what's next for Alexander Povetkin?
Sauerland, in the arftermath of the fight, brought in former world champion Evander Holyfield. Speaking of bringing things into the picture: in the independent rankings, Robert Helenius has even managed to get ahead of world champion Povetkin. So, when discussing the most interesting fighters in the heavyweight division, the name Helenius is at least as intriguing as Povetkin's. Before we consider the potential of these two great hopes in boxing's premier division, let's take a brief look back at Saturday.
The thriller: Alexander Povetkin (22-0-0) vs. Ruslan Chagaev (27-2-1)
After cautious opening two rounds, Povetkin found his rhythm. The Russian unleashed a variety of combinations and displayed greater activity. While his punches primarily targeted Chagaev's guard, the Uzbek himself was too passive to win the rounds. Up to that point, the fight had unfolded as predicted by the bookmakers. However, Chagaev's trainer, Michael Timm, urged his fighter to finally get going. From the third round onward, Chagaev became more active and aggressive, landing his left hook while staying on the outside.
Things got interesting because, contrary to what Povetkin's trainer had announced beforehand – "We mainly want to avoid the southpaw's left hook" – Povetkin repeatedly caught the Universum boxer's left hook in the following rounds. In the sixth round, Povetkin wobbled, seemed out of breath, was breathing heavily through his mouth, and an upset seemed imminent. But Ruslan Chagaev couldn't capitalize. He let Povetkin off the hook, who found his second wind from the eighth round onward and controlled the fight until the end with versatile boxing and effective distance control. The second main event of the evening provided some serious action.
The action film: Robert Helenius (16-0-0) vs. Siarhei Liakhovich (25-4-0)
The Finn started very cautiously. "At first, it was perhaps a little boring. I know I can box better. I was a bit nervous," Helenius told ARD. His opponent, however, was no stranger. Siarhei Liakhovich became world champion in 2006 against Lamon Brewster, but lost his title in the following fight, in the final seconds of the 12th round, when he was knocked out by Shannon Briggs. The Belarusian, who lives in the USA, boxed cleverly at the beginning. He moved well around his opponent, impressing with his joping jab and punches right down the pipe.
Most of the action, however, was defensive, and it soon became clear who had come to this fight with blanks and who with genuine ammunition. Helenius 's blows took their toll. By the third round, Liakhovich's nose was broken in two places, he was bleeding heavily, and could only breathe through his mouth. Helenius grew stronger and stronger; with his unorthodox style and brutal power, he finally finished off the previously capable Liakhovich.
After the Belarusian was initially given a standing eight count in round eight and managed to survive until the break, Helenius unleashed his offensive with full force and knocked his opponent out – the referee prevented further damage. Another stunning performance from the Finn, but unlike Povetkin, he still doesn't have a world title.
Mismatches Or New Excitement In The Heavyweight Division?
Wladimir Klitschko has 18 months before he has to face Alexander Povetkin to determine the true WBA champion. Povetkin was supposed to fight Klitschko once before, but his trainer, Teddy Atlas, prevented the bout, deeming Povetkin not ready. Since then, Klitschko's management has had enough of Povetkin, and neither Teddy Atlas nor his protégé seem keen on a duel with the formidable Ukrainian. Perhaps this is even a good thing for the heavyweight division, as fights like last weekend's are more exciting than Klitschko's recent bouts.
The Sauerland boxing stable's preferred solution of pitting Alexander Povetkin against the 1962-born Evander Holyfield, however, stifles any hope for another exciting fight and further development of the talented boxer. It is speculated that this encounter could take place as early as December 17th in Zurich. Admittedly, Evander Holyfield didn't look bad against Niko Valuev, though his loss was controversial. However, even for a 48-year-old, it's not that difficult to appear agile and nimble against the static, imposing Valuev. Evander Holyfield also doesn't stand up to the oft-cited comparison with the 46-year-old WBC light heavyweight champion, Bernard Hopkins.
Thus, contrary to what his nickname might suggest, Evander Holyfield is not a "real deal" for Povetkin, but rather a mismatch and a step backward. Robert Helenius's matchmaking, in comparison to Povetkin's, seems to have been on a steady upward trajectory. The Finn has already boxed three former world champions: Lamon Brewster, Samuel Peter, and Siarhei Liakhovich. Even though all three were well past their prime when they faced Helenius, these are still important benchmarks for the development of the 27-year-old, two-meter-tall fighter. However, his own boxing stable would likely not risk a match between Helenius and Povetkin.
Below the Klitschko brothers, there are still other candidates for exciting heavyweight bouts. Alexander Povetkin could be an option for David Haye, should he recover from his serious toe injury. Tyson Fury (15-0-0) would also be an intriguing candidate. The 23-year-old Briton, who is currently desperately seeking an opponent for his fight on September 17th in Belfast, is considered, along with Robert Helenius, one of the biggest heavyweight prospects. Odlanier Solis shouldn't be overlooked either.
The Cuban is perhaps the most technically gifted heavyweight right now. If he recovers from his knee injury, Povetkin would certainly have reason to fear him. Tomasz Adamek and Alexander Dimitrenko would also be candidates for Povetkin, as he would need to further improve his game against opponents of such caliber. Unless, of course, this improvement happens by default, because, as his trainer Teddy Atlas recently told boxingscene.com: "When you win the title, you automatically become 30 percent better."[1]
Bloody Knockout Of Siarhei Liakhovich: Belarusian In Intensive Care
By Chapter 97, August 29, 2011
Belarusian ex-WBO world champion, heavyweight Siarhei Lyakhovich was knocked out by 27-year-old Finnish fighter Robert Helenius in a fight which was a part of a boxing event in Erfurt, Germany.
After the fight, it turned out that the Belarusian's nose was broken in two places, and observers called this fight the best heavyweight fight in the last five years, interfax.by reports.
The meeting with the "Northern Nightmare" (that's Helenius' nickname) turned out to be a heavy defeat for the "White Wolf". The Belarusian fought on equal terms with the huge Finn for seven rounds - despite the fact that in the second round the opponent broke his nose. However, in the eighth Helenius seized the initiative and was able to knock Siarhei down - after a series of heavy blows, the "White Wolf" was forced to take a knee. However, after this, the Belarusian seemingly recovered and fought the rest of the round on even terms with the Finn.
The culmination came in the ninth round. Lyakhovich was the first to go on the offensive and even succeeded with a series of blows. However, it made little impression on the Finn. And then the "Northern Nightmare" answered: first, he shook the Belarusian with a left uppercut, and then delivered several more powerful blows. The referee was quick to stop the fight. Simultaneously, Lyakhovich's corner threw the towel into the ring. 19 seconds have passed since the start of the round...
It is worth noting that in the last six fights, Robert Helenius defeated three former world champions - in addition to Siarhei Lyakhovich, the "Northern Nightmare" knocked out Samuel Peter (also in the 9th round) and Lamon Brewster (in the 8th round).
As of now, he is ranked 4th best heavyweight in the world by boxrec.com, behind only the Klitschko brothers and Pole Tomasz Adamek. Helenius had 16 fights, won all of them, 11 by knockout. In a fight against Siarhei Lyakhovich, he defended his WBA and WBO intercontinental titles.
Siarhei can be proud
Despite the defeat, the 35-year-old Belarusian received critical acclaim from experts, and Western observers call the fight "the best heavyweight fight in the last five years."
"Sergey Liakhovich can be proud - despite the loss, he had perhaps his best heavyweight fight since his fantastic victory over Lamon Brewster in 2006. The magnitude of the Helenius-Lyakhovich fight is not on that level, but it is quite possible to call it the best heavyweight fight since then", writes boxingscene.com.
"Sergey came into this fight in the best physical shape. He had very quick hands, especially at the beginning. In addition, he had fast feet and many of his punches reached the target. Helenius defeated the guy who came to fight. Defeating Sergey was not easy and, quite possibly, he could have defeated many high-ranking fighters that night. But Robert Helenius is heavy artillery. He has a really strong knockout punch and has once again proved that he is the number one contender for the heavyweight throne - after the retirement of the Klitschko brothers," boxinginsider.com columnist Phil Anselmo expressed in his article.
Liakhovich in intensive care
Immediately after the battle, Siarhei Lyakhovich was taken to the intensive care unit of a local hospital. Computed tomography showed that the fighter's nose was broken in two places.
"Siarhei has been unable to breathe through his nose since the first fracture in the second round. He had to swallow a lot of blood when he tried to breathe through his nose," said Tony Cardinale, "White Wolf"'s manager.
The manager stated that "Siarhei proved last night that he is one of the toughest fighters in the heavyweight division." "Despite the painful injury that did not allow him to breathe normally, he fought relentlessly. Even after the knockdown, he continued the fight. I think if it were not for the serious injury, he would have won the fight," Cardinale added.
Immediately after Siarhei was admitted to the hospital, the doctors wanted to start the surgery under full-body anesthesia. However, a little later it was recognized that the bruises and swelling that appeared as a result of the fight were too serious to perform a surgery on the nose immediately. Therefore, it was decided that the surgery would be carried out in about a week, when Siarhei returned to Arizona. By the way, the "White Wolf"'s flight home has been postponed indefinitely due to flight restrictions associated with Hurricane Irene.
Lyakhovich's promoter, Kathy Duva, also had her say. "Ignore those who say that there are no interesting fighters in the heavyweight division. Siarhei took part in two of the most exciting heavyweight fights in the last five years (Lyakhovich vs. Brewster and Helenius vs. Lyakhovich). And he told me that he wants to be as active as possible. He will return to the ring as soon as he recovers," she said. [2]