By Brian Webber: Coach Malik Scott believes Robert Helenius will use the same tactics Tyson Fury used when he faces him on October 15 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
(Photo credit: Toby Acuna/Premier Boxing Champions)
Scott believes the 6’6″ Helenius will try to use his Fury-esque size to back up the slimmer Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) to wear him down. Malik warns that if Helenius (31-3, 20 KOs) tries that tactic, he’ll be out and will wake up later wondering what happened.
Wilder vs. Helenius will be the main event on the FOX Sports pay-per-view. Scott says that if Wilder is victorious, he wants him to challenge IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua.
Malik isn’t interested in Wilder facing former unified champion Andy Ruiz Jr because it’s not a fight that has a world title on the line.
“He’s going to try to use Tyson Fury tactics by pushing D back. We know he’s not that kind of fighter, but he’s going to try Deontay because he saw someone else succeed with his same body size,” Malik Scott told Fighthype about what he thinks Robert Helenius will try on October 15.
“If he is adamant about doing what he says he is going to do, he will find out very early in this fight that it is not going to happen. He is going to find out what it feels like to be beaten by that man. [Wilder] wearing 10-ounce gloves under the lights with 20,000 people cheering.
“It’s a completely different environment. Helenius knows who Deontay is. He shot you, but it’s not good training, Helenius. That is why it is very dangerous. You can go in there and have great days against him, but he’s not like that.
“He shows up at night, and that’s why. But what makes us dangerous is that I know who he is. Me knowing who he is and Deontay knowing who he is, it sets us up a lot more. The more prepared we are, the more dangerous we are.
“The more disciplined Deontay is, the more dangerous he is. The second half of his career, I want it to be really fun, really fun. That is what we are aiming for and starting as well.
“Either way, he’ll get out of there, but if he’s adamant about stepping up and trying Tyson Fury’s tactics, he’ll find out very, very early, and he’ll wake up and realize it’s all over.
“You have to be yourself. You are not Tyson Fury. Tyson Fury is not you. They are two different animals. Deontay is really motivated, he is working very hard and we have a very dangerous opponent in front of us, Helenius.
“It is so dangerous that in an interview years ago when Emanuel [Steward] he praised Deontay and Fury, in that same interview, 30 seconds later, he said, ‘There’s another guy, Robert Helenius, who’s cute, pretty cool, and I like him too.’ Years overdue, we’re sitting here fighting him.
“I studied him filming for years because I was supposed to fight him at some point. I always think about his style because he makes high hands, controls things and makes good pivots. He makes good feints.
“So the kind of style he fights with is enough for a great man. It’s our job to make up for it, it’s our job to make a statement, and it’s our job to get rid of it, dress it up and put it out. That’s what Deontay is going to do,” Malik said.
“Robert (Helenius) has had a winning streak and he’s here; I heard it’s supposed to be mandatory for (Oleksandr) Usyk, but I know he’s coming in with his A+++ game,” Wilder said.
