After years of up-and-down performances, the career of Robert Helenius was ostensibly on the right track.

Before Covid-19 wrapped its disease-ridden hands around the globe, Helenius (31-4, 20 KOs) registered a fourth-round stoppage victory over Adam Kownacki in March of 2020. Roughly one and a half years later, Helenius would go on to prove that his victory against Kownacki was legitimate, scoring a sixth-round knockout win in their immediate rematch.

With momentum firmly on his side, Helenius was convinced that with a victory against Deontay Wilder, he would undoubtedly jump to the front of the championship line. But even with world title glory seemingly within his grasp, Wilder violently ended his three-fight win streak this past weekend in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, via first-round stoppage.

Now, at the age of 38 and his career at a crossroads, Helenius is unsure if it makes sense to move forward.

“I can’t tell yet,” said Helenius to Blue Blood Sports TV when asked if he'll retire. “But time will tell.”

In the case of Wilder, a cataclysmic statement was exactly what the doctor ordered. Having suffered back-to-back knockout defeats against Tyson Fury, the Alabama native will now attempt to sift through countless options for his next ring appearance.

As for Helenius, while the sting of defeat has left an unsatisfying taste in his mouth, he makes an effort to look on the bright side of things.

Over the past few years, both Wilder and Helenius have built an indelible bond and friendship. Though it pained the former champion to face someone who he considers a brother, Helenius, while disappointed, praised Wilder for his compassion and concern for his well-being.

“I’m okay. I'm a little bit sad because I thought I could do better. He just caught me, that’s just boxing, he’s a good man. I respect him a lot. I’m glad that it was Wilder who I lost to.”