"He would do the same to Usyk"- Twitter reacts to Deontay Wilder's emphatic KO victory over Robert Helenius
Deontay Wilder returned to the boxing ring after more than a year against Robert Helenius at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn last night.
Riding on the back of a two-fight losing streak, 'The Bronze Bomber' was desperate to win heading into the bout against his former sparring partner. Wilder did precisely that as he secured an emphatic first-round knockout victory.
Watch the finish below:
Return of the King @BronzeBomber king🤴🏿. #WilderHelenius https://t.co/mCmuHYLore
Wilder started the round rather slow and knocked out Robert Helenius with a powerful short right hand towards the end of the round. While the punch didn't seem enough at first glance, 'The Nordic Nightmare' became stiff as soon as he fell on the canvas, and the referee called the fight.
Unsurprisingly, the boxing world was quick to post its thoughts on social media. Below are some of the best Twitter reactions to Deontay Wilder's knockout of Robert Helenius:
"Wow that was the most powerful fastest short right hand ever. Congratulations @BronzeBomber"
Wow that was the most powerful fastest short right hand ever. Congratulations @BronzeBomber
"Deontay Wilder is box office. Plain and simple."
Deontay Wilder is box office. Plain and simple.
"He would do the same to Usyk."
@premierboxing @BronzeBomber He would do the same to Usyk.
"Give him credit for creating spot to counter. #WilderHelenius"
Give him credit for creating spot to counter. #WilderHelenius
"Deontay Wilder KOs Robert Helenius with a massive right hand in round one. Back with a bang."
Deontay Wilder KOs Robert Helenius with a massive right hand in round one. Back with a bang.‼️ Deontay Wilder KOs Robert Helenius with a massive right hand in round one. Back with a bang.
"Deontay Wilder may not be the best heavyweight in the world but he is without a doubt the scariest"
Deontay Wilder may not be the best heavyweight in the world but he is without a doubt the scariest
What is next for Deontay Wilder?
It's safe to say that Wilder is back with a bang with a victory over Robert Helenius. That said, 'The Bronze Bomber' will certainly look to get his hands back on the heavyweight championship in his upcoming fights.
A potential fight between Andy Ruiz Jr. and 'The Bronze Bomber' has been teased a lot over the past month, especially since Ruiz Jr.'s impressive win over Luis Ortiz. Another one of Wilder's potential opponents happens to be Anthony Joshua.
Deontay Wilder's manager Shelly Finkel on potentially making the Anthony Joshua fight with Eddie Hearn for 2023: "The time will come after this [Robert Helenius] fight, if he's sincere, and Joshua wants it, we'll make it… If Deontay does what he's supposed to do, we're ready."
Going into the fight against Robert Helenius, Wilder made it known that fighting Anthony Joshua next would be his main goal. It is worth noting that the two were rumored to fight multiple times during their respective championship reigns; however, it never ended up happening.
Deontay Wilder asked who he wants to fight next: "I'm down for whatever. Whether it's Andy Ruiz or Oleksandr Usyk. Deontay Wilder is back, the excitement in the heavyweight division is back."
Apart from fighting Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua, Wilder could also potentially land a championship fight against Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian is struggling to find an opponent for his second title defense and could stumble upon 'The Bronze Bomber' if a fight against Tyson Fury for the undisputed championship doesn't happen.