Wilder going to extreme lengths in preparations for boxing return

Deontay Wilder is a ‘knockout artist’ claims expert

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Deontay Wilder is putting in the work ahead of his return to the ring on October 15 against Robert Helenius. The Bronze Bomber claims he has done 407 rounds of sparring in camp already as he leaves no stone unturned in preparations.

Wilder has been out of action since his brutal knockout loss to Tyson Fury in the pair’s third outing 11 months ago. Many had believed the Alabaman native would never fight again after suffering such a devastating defeat but sure enough, the heavyweight division’s most prolific puncher is back.

“We done put in 407 rounds,” said Wilder during a virtual press conference as he revealed his jaw-dropping sparring routine. “It’s been great, training has been great. I wanted to try something different.

“When you’re in a business and you do it for so long and the same routine, sometimes it can get boring. With this one, we just wanted to change up some things. We wanted to go longer rounds and see what happens. We started off at 18 rounds to 21, 26, 28, and 30, and then to 40. It can sound hardcore on your body but when you’re in shape and your body is up to par, nothing is impossible.”

For a time, it seemed a fight with the Nordic Nightmare would never happen after Helenius confirmed he was speaking to lawyers about a lawsuit against the WBA due to the ongoing situation regarding his mandatory status. Back in 2020, he defeated Adam Kownacki in a WBA final eliminator bout to determine the next challenger for the winner of Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk for the WBA (super), IBF, and WBO titles.

With the belts tied up after a rematch clause was activated, Helenius defeated Kownacki again, further affirming his position at the front of the line. However, he has since been dropped to No2 and is currently sitting behind No 1 ranked Michael Hunter and WBA (regular) champion Daniel Dubois in the pecking order.

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No further details on the lawsuit have come out but he now has the opportunity to take Wilder’s No 1 spot if he beats the Olympic bronze-medallist in Brooklyn. Both men are good friends and have sparred together on multiple occasions. But Wilder has made it very clear that this will all go out the window on fight night.

“He’s an amazing man. Every time he comes down, it’s like a brotherhood,” he continued. “It’s a connection that we have. Unfortunately, the business that we choose to participate in, consists of us going against each other.

“But make no mistake, because we know each other and we have worked together with each other, that don’t mean that the fight won’t be interesting. You’re looking at two warriors, with a warrior mindset and a warrior’s heart.” 

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