"I definitely should be next" - Robert Helenius targeting the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua
Robert Helenius feels he deserves to fight the winner of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua's rematch next month.
'The Cat' and 'AJ' are set to square off next month in a rematch of their September 2021 encounter. The fight saw the Ukrainian march into the Brit's home country as a massive underdog and walk away with the heavyweight title after dominating the bout.
Following the defeat, Joshua activated his rematch clause to fight Usyk again. The two are now set to square off next month at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia. Many fans are hoping that the winner of the rematch will face the recently retired Tyson Fury next.
However, if 'The Gypsy King' faces the winner, that won't sit well with Robert Helenius. The 38-year-old discussed his hopes of receiving a title shot in an interview with Sky Sports Boxing. In the interview, Helenius stated that he's willing to sue the WBA to make the fight happen.
'The Nordic Nightmare' was named the WBA heavyweight mandatory after defeating Adam Kownacki in March 2020. Despite that, he's not fought for the title yet. In the interview, Helenius stated:
"I am rightfully the WBA mandatory, so of course I am interested in the Usyk vs. Joshua winner. I definitely should be next. Every elimination bout after mine is bulls***. At this point, if we are not designated the mandatory after Usyk's next fight, we will only have one option."
See Kownacki's interview with Sky Sports below:
Robert Helenius has demanded that the WBA mandate him for the next shot at the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua. ⏳
Does Robert Helenius deserve a title shot?
Robert Helenius' claim that he deserves a title shot has a lot of merit, given his current winning streak.
The 38-year-old is currently riding a three-fight winning streak. Following his knockout victory over Mateus Roberto Osorio, he was given a WBA title eliminator bout against the undefeated Adam Kownacki in March 2020.
At the time, the title eliminator matchup was blasted by fans and pundits. Helenius was seen as past his best days and had recently lost to Gerald Washington. Meanwhile, Kownacki was seen as the next big thing in the heavyweight division.
🥊 ROBERT HELENIUS (+1100) PULLS OFF THE MASSIVE UPSET 💪 🥊
https://t.co/e1SYyoi9Gf
However, Helenius upset the odds and scored a knockout victory over Kownacki in March 2020. The two were set for a rematch the following year, and once again, the veteran scored a massive upset win. With that, he retained his mandatory status.
While it remains to be seen if he will fight for the title next, it's hard to argue he doesn't deserve it.