Wilder vs. Helenius Fight Results: The Bomb Squad Is Back!

Deontay Wilder annihilated Robert Helenius in a first-round knockout to win their scheduled 12-round WBC heavyweight title semi-eliminator Saturday evening at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. With the win, Wilder, a former titleholder, will face former unified champion Andy Ruiz in a final eliminator in 2023.

Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs), who tipped the scales at 214½ pounds on Friday, looked fresh from the onset, using movement to keep the heavier Helenius on his toes. The Finnish fighter chose to unleash a series of heavy shots, but Wilder had set up a beautiful trap and countered him with a signature right hand that knocked Helenius out flat on his back.

WILDER IS BACK 💥 #WilderHelenius

(🎥 @premierboxing)
pic.twitter.com/pEDWkU8dVZ

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 16, 2022

Wilder, who only needed three punches to destroy Helenius, was fighting for the first time since he suffered an 11th-round knockout at the hands of Tyson Fury in their trilogy last October.

Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs), the current WBC champion, was able to deal with Wilder's power—and is the only one to this point who has—and he's been the only one so far who has—getting up from four knockouts in three fights—getting up from four total knockdowns in their three fights. But Helenius, like so many Wilder opponents, could only stare at the ceiling in disbelief.

Wilder held the WBC title for five years and made ten defenses before losing to Fury in their second fight via seventh-round TKO back in February 2020. In his next fight, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist could take on Oleksandr Usyk, who holds three heavyweight titles, or Ruiz. Both men have wins over Anthony Joshua, though Ruiz was the only one who managed to knock him out.

Caleb Plant buried the trash-talking Anthony Dirrell. 

Photo Credit: PBC

Last November, the former super middleweight titlist said he hated Plant. After the contracts were signed and the fight got closer, Dirrell stepped up the trash talk, saying that Plant is “just one of those guys that I wanna fu** up.”

However, Plant insisted he would not stoop down to Dirrell's level and focus on boxing, which was urged by new trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards. Plant followed the gameplan as he scored a one-punch knockout of Dirrell in the ninth round with a vicious left hook.

Coming into the fight, Dirrell accused his opponent of running in his previous fights. Plant was anything but that in the opening frame, connecting with a looping left-hand seconds into the fight and jabbing him to the body. There wasn't much action in round three until Dirrell tackled Plant to the canvas. Prior to the move, Plant was getting the better of Dirrell, connecting with a left hook to the head earlier in the round.

PERFECT COUNTER 👊 @SweetHandsPlant #WilderHelenius (🎥 @premierboxing) pic.twitter.com/nWIAGn9OfH

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 16, 2022

In round four, Plant connected with a slew of body shots, and Dirrell caught Plant with a counter right hand coming in towards the end of the frame. Plant connected with a left hook that backed Dirrell toward the ropes in round five. Dirrell responded with an illegal forearm followed by a right hand before Plant tied him up.

In the seventh, Plant outboxed Dirrell as they were looking to land sharp counters. And Plant continued to do the same in the eighth in what had become a boring fight — until it wasn't. Dirrell was unloading at the start of the ninth round, with Plant fending off the attack. At the end of the frame, Plant feinted downstairs to the body and came back with a left hook to the head that knocked out Dirrell cold. Ringside doctors quickly rushed to the scene as Plant brought out the shovel grave celebration for the fighter who had talked so much smack leading up to the bout.

Undercard action

Frank Sanchez knocks down Carlos Negron!

To watch the rest of #WilderHelenius, order on the Fox Sports app or at https://t.co/3Zu1Q7cGSe so you don't miss any of the action! pic.twitter.com/09LtSLenES

— FOX Sports: PBC (@PBConFOX) October 16, 2022

On the undercard, undefeated Frank Sanchez (21-0, 14 KOs) stopped Carlos Negron (25-4, 20 KOs) in the ninth round of a slated 10-round affair. Most ringside observers disagreed with the stoppage as Negron was still throwing back and didn't appear in danger as the referee halted the fight.

Emmanuel Rodriguez picked up a 10th-round technical decision win over previously unbeaten 118-pounder Gary Antonio Russell in a scheduled 12-round bout. Rodriguez (21-2, 13 KOs), a former titleholder, floored Russell (19-1, 12 KOs) in the ninth round before his opponent uncorked a vicious headbutt that left Rodriguez unable to continue. Despite the tactics of his adversary, Rodriguez walked away with a victory.