Helenius’s hand injury less serious than first thought

“My right hand looks like a football.”

Robert Helenius

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Robert Helenius’s hand injury is less serious than originally feared.
      The Finnish boxer hurt his right hand in his Saturday night bout against Britain’s Dereck Chisora for the European Heavyweight Championship title.
     
In the highly controversial fight that saw Helenius take the vacant European heavyweight title belt on a split decision on points, the Finnish fighter believed he had sustained a fracture to his hand, but a Monday visit to a surgeon brought good news.
      ”The hand looks like a football. I believe there is a sprain of some sort in the joint capsule and the ligaments. I was prepared for worse”, Helenius described the injury on the back of his hand.
      The visit to the hand specialist also revealed a detachment of a small bone chip. Still, Helenius having to undergo surgery does not seem likely.
      “I’ll have to wait and see if the swelling starts to come down. I would prefer not having to keep running to the doctor.”
      If the hand will not start showing signs of recovery, the “Nordic Nightmare” may nonetheless have to pay another visit to the surgery. The possible MRI scan would take place towards the end of this week.
     
This is by no means Helenius’s first time to injure his right hand.
      In March 2010, he fractured a finger in a bout against Gbenga Oloukun of Nigeria.
      Last summer the injury flared up again, and the Finnish boxer was forced to have a break in his training.
      Also after the August bout against Sergei Liakhovich Helenius complained about his right hand.
      Boxing coach and promoter Pekka Mäki considers it worrying that the same hand is repeatedly getting damaged.
      “Of course it is most alarming if a boxer’s tools - his hands - break down.”
     
Mäki paid attention to the gloves that Helenius used in the weekend’s fight.
      ”He was wearing Mexican gloves that do not protect the hands that well. When using such gloves the hands have to be taped really well. I was slightly surprised”, Mäki comments, and remembers that Helenius used similar boxing gloves at least in the bout against Liakhovich.
     
On Sunday, the “Nordic Nightmare” beat Britain’s Dereck Chisora on a split decision on points 2-1.
      The ruling of the bout that was fought on Helenius’s home turf in Finland has raised a lot of discussion and criticism in international boxing circles and sports media.
      It has been widely suggested that Chisora was robbed of a fairly straightforward win.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Controversial split decision awards Helenius European heavyweight title (5.12.2011)

See also:
  Helenius adds another win, but at a cost (29.3.2010)

Links:
  Robert Helenius (Wikipedia)

Helsingin Sanomat