Tyson Fury is confident Deontay Wilder will knock out Robert Helenius when the pair square off in New York this weekend in the American's comeback fight.
Wilder and Fury's epic trilogy will have been just over a year ago when the former steps back into the ring on Saturday after flirting with the prospect of retirement. The hard-hitting American had never been beaten as a professional before meeting Fury, but couldn't beat the Brit at three different attempts; drawing their first meeting before being viciously knocked out in their two rematches.
And he's not making it easy for himself as he returns to action against the 6'7" Finn Helenius who believes he has a claim to the No.1 contender spot with the WBA after two brutal knockout wins over Adam Kownacki. Wilder has been told a win over Helenius could set up an eliminator for Fury's WBC belt with Andy Ruiz.
"I think that Helenius is a good fighter," Fury told ID Boxing. "I think that he's No.1-ranked with the WBA or he should be if he's not. I think he did an eliminator with Adam Kownacki and I just think that Wilder is a monster puncher and as soon as he lands on Helenius he's out. I've seen Gerald Washington knock Helenius out, and Wilder knocked him out, so... He didn't do much good with Dillian Whyte, Helenius, couldn't really hurt him and Wilder punches like five times harder than Whyte so, yeah, KO for sure."
Fury is currently preparing for another title defence in December at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, which is likely to be against either Mahmoud Charr or Derek Chisora. But he's open to the possibility of fighting Wilder again, particularly if he can get past Ruiz and earn a spot as WBC mandatory.
"He's had a year out, we do not know how much the Gypsy King has taken out of Wilder," he told Seconds Out over the weekend. "He's had a year out and I gave him a hell of a beating that last time, really laid it to him and he needed a long time recover so we will see.
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"But don't write a fourth fight off with me and Wilder. You've got Usyk, who doesn't want to fight when we offered him millions and millions to fight in December, he ran away - the b**** don't want no smoke. Then you've got the bodybuilder [ Anthony Joshua ] over here who's running away from the biggest payday he can ever get and making a million excuses; Commercial rights? Whatever the flip they are!
"Then you've got Wilder in the meantime, if he beats Helenius they're going to make a final eliminator between him and Andy Ruiz. If he beats Ruiz, guess who's back again? Big D! I don't mind because the man wants a fight, it's a great fight, we've had three great fights.
"And if he becomes mandatory again and I don't get this other fight with this little middleweight guy [Usyk] who I'm just going to run through, then we do Wilder again. No.1-ranked mandatory if he gets to that position, who wouldn't want to watch that one again?"
