Deontay Wilder served a knockout. in the first round to Robert Helenius on Saturday evening, in the final of the gala presented in Brooklyn. It was a WBC heavyweight knockout fight.
In clinch at the end of the first engagement, Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) unleashed a powerful right that surprised Helenius (31-4, 20 KOs) and left him sent to the mat.
“Deontay is back. The excitement in the heavyweight division is back,” Wilder said following his victory.
Helenius took several minutes before getting up.
“I knew what he was capable of,” Wilder said. I didn’t take it lightly. I might look into his eyes, he wanted to be his country’s first heavyweight champion. »
Wilder therefore finds the way to victory following having suffered his only two defeats during his career. Wilder had suffered a defeat by K.-O. technique in February 2020 once morest Tyson Fury, before getting knocked out. in the rematch in October 2021. It was his first fight in a year.
For his part, Helenius lost for the first time in his last four fights. He had notably had the upper hand over Adam Kownacki the last two times he entered the ring.
Plant finds the way to victory
In the semifinals of the gala, Caleb Plant (22-1, 13 KOs) emerged victorious from a WBC knockout bout once morest Anthony Dirrell (34-3-2, 25 KOs) in the 168 books. Plant signed a victory by K.-O. in the 9th round, the 13th K.-O. of her career.
The fight did not offer a particularly captivating spectacle in the first rounds, being mainly the theater of struggle.
In the 9th round, Plant served a devastating left hook that left Dirrell no chance, who quickly found himself on the mat.
Undefeated, Plant suffered the first defeat of his career in November 2021, when he lost by K.-O. technique once morest Saul Alvarez.