All the buzz in boxing this week might be around the impending heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, but there’s been plenty of other news breaking within the sweet science.
From the returns of Deontay Wilder, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Amanda Serrano to the cancellation of Adrien Broner’s comeback, here are five boxing stories you might have missed this week.
Deontay Wilder Set To Take On Robert Helenius In Comeback Fight
Former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder will return to the ring on October 15th when he takes on Robert Helenius in a 12-round WBC heavyweight title eliminator at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
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The Bronze Bomber has been out of action since the conclusion of his epic trilogy with Tyson Fury, which ended in victory for the Briton by way of knockout in October 2021.
“It’s been a long journey for me and as of today it continues,” Wilder said in a press release announcing the fight on Wednesday. “I thought so many times about whether I should stay out of the business or come back. Once I got my statue in my hometown [earlier this year in Tuscaloosa, Alabama] and saw so many people arrive and celebrate with me and my family, to see all the emotions, grown men crying in front of their children and saying he is a real true king, made me feel like my job is not done.
“So, here I am once again, looking forward to returning to the ring. I am looking forward to coming to Barclays Center, a place where I have had my most devastating knockouts and a place I consider my second home.”
Swedish-born-Finn Helenius, who last fought on the Wilder/Fury III undercard, stopping Adam Kownacki, represents a solid comeback opponent for the American. The 38-year-old, who might be best known to UK fight fans for his controversial win over Derek Chisora back in 2011 and his defeat to Dillian Whyte in 2017, comes into the fight on a good run of form with three straight wins inside the distance since a 2019 defeat to Gerald Washington.
Former super middleweight champions Caleb Plant and Anthony Dirrell will also face off in a tasty co-feature bout in New York.
Vasiliy Lomachenko Targeting October Return
Like Wilder, Vasiliy Lomachenko will reportedly be back in action in October when he takes on unbeaten lightweight Jamaine Ortiz.
The Ukrainian three-weight world champion arrived at the Los Angeles International airport on Tuesday to begin his training for his warm-up fight against the American, with a view to taking on Devin Haney for the undisputed lightweight championship in the early part of 2023.
Massachusetts native Ortiz is coming off a shock 10-round unanimous decision win over former super featherweight champion Jamel Herring in May 2021. Lomachenko, who has been part of the Ukrainian territorial defence battalion defending his homeland from the ongoing Russian invasion, last fought in December, beating Richard Commey by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden.
Amanda Serrano Set For Featherweight Unification On Joyce-Parker Undercard
WBC and WBO featherweight champion Amanda Serrano will return to the ring on September 24th when she clashes with IBF title-holder Sarah Mahfoud in a unification bout on the Joe Joyce-Joseph Parker card at the AO Arena in Manchester.
The seven-weight world champion returns to featherweight for the first time since August 2021, with her last two fights coming at lightweight, including her April split decision defeat to undisputed champion Katie Tayor at Madison Square Garden.
"I am so excited over the prospect of fighting in the UK," Serrano said in a press release. "It has been on my to-do list for a long time, with the amazing fans who really get behind the sport, as well as the huge growth in women's boxing."
The undefeated Mahfoud will be making the second defence of her IBF title.
Adrien Broner Pulls Out Of Fight Over Mental Health Issues
Adrien Broner has pulled out of his lightweight clash with Omar Figueroa, which was scheduled for this Saturday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, citing issues with his mental health.
"Sorry to all my fans but #MentalHealth is real and I’m not about to play inside the ring,” Broner wrote in an Instagram post.
“I’ve watched a lot of people die playing with they boxing career and that is something I won’t do - just pray for me - I love the sport of boxing too much to not give my all and I feel like I came up short before because my mind wasn’t 100% there and I be damned if I make that mistake again. I need to make some changes for the better instead of worrying about other people’s feelings and pleasing them when In all reality I have nothing to prove to nobody.
"I’m a four-time world champion in four different weight classes and if I never lace up a pair of gloves again I feel like it’s safe to say I will be inducted into the #BoxingHallOfFame. So I have to step back and overcome this obstacle before I go put my life on the line inside the square circle again. I know I’m far from being finished with the sport SEE YALL SOON."
YouTuber KSI Set For Two Fights In One Night Next Weekend
YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI will fight two opponents on the same night when he makes his return to the ring on August 27th.
The 29-year-old had been in line to face fellow social media star Alex Wassabi until the latter dropped out of the bout with a concussion. Instead, KSI will now face rapper and boxing newcomer Swarmz before taking on professional boxer Ivan Nikolov. While it’s good to see the Londoner take on an actual boxer, unlike other fighting influencers like Jake Paul, Bulgaria's Nikolov has won just three of his 21 bouts.
"It's never been done before in YouTube boxing," said KSI. "In fact, I don't think it has ever been done in normal boxing on pay-per-view. We asked Bryce Hall, we asked Dax, we asked Vinnie Hacker, we asked Taylor Holder and they either didn't want it or couldn't do it.
"So we decided to fight someone who would beat all of the people I mentioned before. I am fighting a pro boxer for my second fight, on the same night. I am fighting Swarmz and a Bulgarian boxer on the same night. Am I insane? Probably? Am I crazy? Probably? Is this ridiculous? Probably.”
*18+ | BeGambleAware
