Robert Helenius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robert Helenius |
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Helenius in 2010
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| Real name | Robert Gabriel Helenius | |||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Nordic Nightmare | |||||||||||||
| Rated at | Heavyweight | |||||||||||||
| Height | 2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||
| Reach | 201 centimetres (79 in) | |||||||||||||
| Nationality |
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| Born | 2 January 1984 Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 37 | |||||||||||||
| Wins | 32 | |||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 21 | |||||||||||||
| Losses | 5 | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Robert Gabriel Helenius (born 2 January 1984) is a Finnish professional boxer. He is known as "The Nordic Nightmare." He has won many important boxing titles in the heavyweight division. These include the European title twice. As an amateur, he won a silver medal in 2006. This was at the European Championships in the super-heavyweight class. Robert has beaten famous boxers like Lamon Brewster, Samuel Peter, and Siarhei Liakhovich.
Contents
Robert's Early Boxing Days
Robert Helenius started boxing when he was just five years old. His father was his first coach. In the early 2000s, he trained with Tony Halme. Robert won a bronze medal in 2000 at the European championships for young boxers (under 17). He also won another bronze medal in 2001 at the Junior European Championships.
In Finland, he competed in the super heavyweight division. He reached the final in 2002. In 2005, he beat David Price on points.
A Big Year in 2006
The year 2006 was very important for Robert. He won a silver medal at the 2006 European Amateur Boxing Championships. He lost in the final to Islam Timurziev. By this time, Robert was known for winning his fights by knockout. He even knocked out Bogdan Dinu.
After 2006, Robert started fighting in Germany. He joined the Box-Bundesliga, which is like a top league for boxing. He also fought Sergei Kharitonov, an MMA fighter, and won.
Becoming a Professional Boxer
Robert Helenius became a professional boxer in 2008. He joined a German boxing team called Wilfried Sauerland. In 2009, he knocked out Scott Gammer. He also stopped Taras Bidenko in the third round.
Moving Up in the Ranks
Fighting Lamon Brewster
In 2010, Robert faced a big challenge. He fought Lamon Brewster, who used to be a world champion. Many people thought it was too early for Robert to fight someone so strong. But Robert showed how tough he was. He won the fight in the eighth round.
After this, Robert beat Gbenga Oloukun in Helsinki. He even broke a bone in his hand during the fight! In August 2010, Robert won the EU heavyweight title. He defended it in November 2010 by beating Attila Levin. He also won the WBO Inter-Continental title in the same fight.
Taking on Samuel Peter
Robert wanted to keep winning big fights. So, he decided to fight another former world champion, Samuel Peter. This fight happened on April 2, 2011. Peter started strong, but Robert stayed calm. Robert's powerful right hand started to land in the middle rounds. In the ninth round, Robert knocked Peter out. Peter was unable to get up.
Victory Against Siarhei Liakhovich
On August 27, 2011, Robert successfully defended his WBO and WBA titles. He fought Sergei Liakhovich in Germany. Robert won by technical knockout in the ninth round. This was his third knockout win against a former heavyweight champion. It showed that he was one of the best heavyweights in the world.
Becoming European Champion
The Chisora Fight
On December 3, 2011, Robert Helenius won the European Championship title. He beat Derek Chisora in Helsinki, Finland. It was a very close fight, and some people thought Chisora should have won. Robert later said he hurt his right arm early in the fight. He had to have an operation on his arm.
After his injury, Robert took a long break from boxing. He returned in November 2012 and beat Sherman Williams. He kept his perfect record. In March 2013, he won against Michael Sprott. Robert broke his right wrist in this fight.
Robert then had some problems with his boxing team, Team Sauerland. He did not fight for two years because of these issues.
Returning to the Ring
Robert came back to boxing on March 21, 2015. He fought Andras Csomor. Then, on June 13, 2015, he fought Beka Lobjanidze. Robert won easily, knocking Lobjanidze down multiple times.
In December 2015, Robert was set to fight Erkan Teper for the EBU heavyweight title. But Teper got injured. So, Robert fought Franz Rill instead. Robert won this fight clearly. He knocked Rill down in the first and fourth rounds. This win gave him the IBF International and European heavyweight titles.
Career from 2016 Onwards
In January 2016, Robert gave up his European title. He chose not to fight Derek Chisora again at that time. Instead, he fought Johann Duhaupas for another title. Duhaupas knocked Robert out in the sixth round. This was Robert's first loss as a professional.
After this loss, Robert fought Konstantin Airich in September 2016. He knocked Airich out in just 49 seconds! In December 2016, he quickly beat Gonzalo Basile.
Rematch Plans and Other Fights
In March 2017, it was announced that Robert would have a rematch with Derek Chisora. This fight was supposed to be for the WBC Silver heavyweight title. However, the fight was postponed. Robert then fought Evgeny Orlov in June 2017 and won easily.
Fighting Dillian Whyte
In October 2017, Robert agreed to fight Dillian Whyte. He took the fight on short notice, with only a week of training. Whyte won the fight by a unanimous decision. Robert later said he took the risk because he needed money.
In 2018, Robert fought Yury Bykhautsou twice. He won both fights. The first was a split decision, and the second was a unanimous decision.
Winning Against Erkan Teper
On September 29, 2018, Robert fought Erkan Teper for the IBF Inter-Continental heavyweight title. Robert controlled most of the fight. He knocked Teper out in the eighth round.
Fighting in the United States
After almost a year, Robert fought in the United States for the first time. He faced Gerald Washington in July 2019. Robert lost this fight by knockout in the eighth round. In November 2019, he fought Mateus Roberto Osorio in Estonia. Robert knocked him out in the second round with a body punch.
Big Wins Against Adam Kownacki
On March 7, 2020, Robert fought Adam Kownacki. Kownacki was undefeated and a big favorite to win. But Robert surprised everyone! He stopped Kownacki in the fourth round. He won the WBA Gold heavyweight title. This win made him a top challenger for the world title.
Robert and Kownacki had a rematch on October 9, 2021. Robert was dominant again. He won by technical knockout in the sixth round.
Challenging Deontay Wilder
Robert then faced Deontay Wilder, a former WBC heavyweight champion. The fight took place on October 15, 2022. Robert lost the fight by knockout in the first round.
Fighting Anthony Joshua
On August 12, 2023, Robert was announced as a last-minute replacement to fight Anthony Joshua. The fight took place in London. Robert lost the bout by knockout in the seventh round.
Robert's Life Outside the Ring
Robert Helenius was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He lived there until he was two years old. He has both Finnish and Swedish citizenship. He has even boxed for Sweden sometimes. Robert is a Swedish-speaking Finn. Today, he lives in Lumparland in Åland.
Images for kids
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Helenius in 2010
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Robert Helenius in 2010
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Robert Helenius and Attila Levin
See also
In Spanish: Robert Helenius para niños
