It’s amazing how one victory can change everything.
Robert Helenius was seen as a has-been when he stepped into the ring to face Adam Kownacki on March 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Finn walked out as a major player in the heavyweight division for the first time since the early 2010s.
Helenius, demonstrating that power is the last thing to go, stunned the boxing world by stopping the then-unbeaten Kownacki in only four rounds.
Now he could be only one more victory away from challenging for one of the belts owned by Anthony Joshua, who rebounded from his upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. to regain his titles last December.
“I think it would be a very interesting fight [against Joshua],” Helenius told Sky Sports. “I would like that very much. It would be fireworks and tactics, of course, but I think it would be a very, very interesting fight for me. I was very surprised that he got knocked [out by Andy Ruiz Jr]. He made mistakes, but he did well in the second fight.
“Ruiz and me are very different fighters. We are the same height, Anthony and me. I’ve been there in a sparring camp with him. I have nothing personal against him, he’s a very good guy. I think very highly of him and I like him a lot, but I think I would beat him.”
And he’d be happy to face Joshua in the U.K.
“Of course, the Vikings have been there many times before,” Helenius said. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m planning to do (a Viking invasion).”
Another possible opponent for Helenius? Tyson Fury. Helenius has sparred with both Joshua and Fury.
“It’s a whole different fight,” he said of a prospective meeting with Fury. “… I would not reveal … secrets, how I would go about the fight. It’s also a very interesting fight.”
Helenius (30-3, 19 KOs) said he’s in position to talk about such lucrative matchups because he’s healthy for the first time in a long time.
“I think it’s because I’ve been training injury-free for a couple of years now,” The 36-year-old said. “I had a lot of problems after my shoulder injury and shoulder operation. Dealing with a lot of problems with hand operations and stuff like that. I was sick, I had a lung disease, and I think I’m bouncing back.
“I hope I will get the biggest fight. I don’t really care who I’m fighting next, so I’m going to be ready for whoever comes in my way.”