Did Robert Helenius retire after his anchor punch KO loss to Deontay Wilder?
Robert Helenius hasn't retired since his loss to Deontay Wilder, but that could change.
'The Nordic Nightmare' returned to action last Saturday on Fox Sports pay-per-view. Standing opposite the Finnish boxer was former WBC Heavyweight Champion, Deontay Wilder. 'The Bronze Bomber' had been out of the ring since his knockout loss to Tyson Fury over a year ago.
Heading into the main event, the 38-year-old Helenius was a massive underdog. But the Finnish boxer was riding the momentum of a pair of knockout wins over Adam Kownacki. In both those outings, Helenius was a massive underdog. Sadly for Robert Helenius, he was unable to beat 'The Bronze Bomber' to complete a hat-trick of upset victories.
Helenius pressured Wilder from the first bell. The American looked uncomfortable up against the ropes before firing a Muhammad Ali-esque "anchor punch," which knocked Helenius out cold in the first round. It was a devastating defeat for the veteran, who appeared to be making his way into title contention.
Take a look at Wilder-Helenius highlights (KO in slo-mo at 2:20):
The day following the loss, the Finnish boxer met Deontay Wilder. The two men were former training partners. Helenius hinted to Wilder that he would retire.
Deontay Wilder visited Robert Helenius in his hotel room today after last night's KO and said: "You okay? I love you man. I'm sorry."
Helenius replied: "Don't be sorry. This is your time, I'm out, I've been doing this for 25 years. Thanks for the opportunity." https://t.co/tBiH9C3So2
Helenius hasn't made a public announcement about his retirement yet. In a recent interview with Blue Blood Sports TV, Helenius stated that his mind wasn't made up on retirement:
“I can’t tell yet. But time will tell.”
Check out the interview below:
Robert Helenius gives first comments after loss to Deontay Wilder
In the aforementioned interview, Robert Helenius also shed light on his recent loss to Deontay Wilder.
For years, 'The Nordic Nightmare' and 'The Bronze Bomber' were good friends and sparring partners. Helenius also helped Wilder prepare for his multiple bouts against Tyson Fury.
The two always stated they'd only fight if either gold or a shot at a championship was on the line. While no title shot was offered in this outing, the winner of the contest is expected to go on to meet Andy Ruiz Jr. next. The winner of the contest would then secure a shot at WBC King Tyson Fury.
The WBC are now expected to order Deontay Wilder vs Andy Ruiz Jr as a final eliminator to determine Tyson Fury's next mandatory challenger for his WBC heavyweight world title.
Robert Helenius is taking his loss well. In the interview, he praised Deontay Wilder:
“I’m okay. I'm a little bit sad because I thought I could do better. He just caught me, that’s just boxing, he’s a good man. I respect him a lot. I’m glad that it was [Deontay] Wilder who I lost to.”