of Robert Helenius we had to wait a year for the next match.
The manager of a Finnish company Markus Sundman can’t help but hesitate when the H-moment approaches. A manager answers the phone from a top hotel near the Brooklyn Bridge. In a couple of days, Helenius will get into the ring Deontay Wilder vs. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
– Now it really feels like a World Cup match, even though it is a WBC World Cup eliminator match. The toughest knockout in the world is coming. This is the biggest thing that has been seen in Finnish professional boxing, Sundman enthuses.
The reason for the protracted match break is partly related to negotiation kinks.
In October 2021, Helenius knocked out by Adam Kownacki in Las Vegas.
– Right after that, we started working on the Wilder match backstage. Then there was a chance to get to the title match Tyson Fury against.
The boxing world shuddered when suddenly Helenius’ name was linked as Fury’s opponent in the WBC title match. Dillian Whyte the team appeared to be in complete disagreement over revenue sharing, and the Fury-Whyte showdown was on the verge of being cancelled.
We had to get to that negotiating table.
– At the same time, we were waiting to see what Wilder would do with his career, Sundman continues.
Wilder suffered a blunt knockout loss against Fury a year ago and there were question marks hanging over the continuation of his career.
no thanks
Markus Sundman immediately joined the negotiating table when Robert Helenius’ name came up as Tyson Fury’s opponent. Jussi Eskola
Fury and Whyte finally got the negotiations over, and Helenius’ name was erased from the list.
Soon the WBA offered a match in which Helenius would face the world champion’s cousin, Hughie Fury.
– We refused it immediately. The match would probably have been quite good, but no one would have bought it and it wouldn’t have made any sense for “Robbe’s” career.
Finally, the pieces fell into place, and in the summer Wilder answered Helenius’ invitation affirmatively.
“Robbe is a more skilled boxer”
Financially, the Wilder fight is the biggest of Helenius’ career, as it should be. The right to watch TV is traded in the United States for almost 80 dollars.
Sundman said after the second Kownacki match that he will no longer enter the ring with a match fee of less than a million.
In 2016, Sundman started working in the Helenius team. There have been ups and downs over the years. In 2018, Sundman saw a Robert Helenius in the ring who could still rise to the top.
– Coach Johan Lindström and Robbe had adjusted the workouts and related stuff for a couple of years. Just before winning Erkan from Teperi something happened.
– I don’t remember seeing Robbe look like that when he got into the ring against Teperi.
If Wilder gets in the way of Helenius’ fist at the weekend, the Finn will rise to a position that in Finland could only be dreamed of.
– I believe that Robbe will beat Wilder, as long as Saturday is his day. Robbe is the more skilled boxer.
The preparation has gone great. The steaks from coach Lindström’s own farm are not brought to Helenius’s table during match week.
– On Wednesday night, we ate such good meat in the restaurant that it doesn’t hurt, Sundman laughs.
Helenius’ opponent Deontay Wilder has won 42 fights in his career. 41 of them have ended with a knockout. PDO