Robert Helenius was cleared from the hospital and was allowed to return to his hotel room.
On Sunday, Deontay Wilder stopped by and embraced his friend and former sparring partner. Wilder broke down after talking about Helenius and talking about the dangers of boxing after knocking out Helenius in the first round Saturday night.
“You okay? I love you man. I’m sorry,” Wilder said in the video.
Helenius replied: “Don’t be sorry. This is your time, I’m out, I’ve been doing this for 25 years. Thanks for the opportunity.”
In the main event on Saturday at the Barclays Center, Wilder did not hesitate to end the night early.
The two danced around the ring. At one point, Helenius seemed to have an advantage as Wilder backed into a corner.
The Finnish fighter reached and Wilder landed a solid right hand that immediately dropped him. Helenius laid flat on the mat, motionless and dazed, just two minutes and 57 seconds into the opening round.
Helenius was sent to the hospital for precautionary checks and was ultimately cleared to return to the hotel.
Wilder said at the post-fight press conference – before breaking down – that he didn’t know how devastating his punch was until Helenius hit the canvas. He said he doesn’t mean to take people away from their “lifestyle,” he’s just trying to provide for his family.
With the win, Wilder is eligible for a title shot with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk. If not, Wilder can fight Andy Ruiz or Anthony Joshua.