Saturday night at the Barclay’s Center, Tuscaloosa native Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder will return to the ring when he takes on Stockholm, Sweden’s Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius.

This impressive fight card on FOX Sports pay-per-view will end with Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs), one of the greatest knockout artists in the history of boxing, entering the ring for the first time since losing the third fight of a trilogy against heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Wilder had some soul-searching to do before he decided to get back in the ring after a 17-month hiatus.

“I only have three years that I want to dedicate myself to this business,” said Wilder, the former Budweiser route driver. “If you’re a busy person you understand that years go by like months.”

“I consulted with my family before I decided to come back. I was 85 percent out,” Wilder admitted on the Pivot Podcast. Wilder also said he consulted with his family.

“‘Daddy is thinking about coming back what do you all think?’” Wilder asked his children.

Helenius fought exclusively overseas until his fight with Gerald Washington in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2019. (31-3, 20 KO’s) Helenius overwhelmed Washington in that fight and scored an eighth-round knockout, catching the attention of the world of boxing. Although he spent some time in Wilder’s boxing camp as a sparring partner, his domination of the heavyweight darling Adam Kownacki showed his peers he’s someone to be reckoned with.

“I’ve had a long career, and I know how I feel before fights. I feel more comfortable and more confident heading into this fight than I’ve felt in a long time,” Helenius said. “Beating Kownacki was key for me, and I know that without those victories, I would not be here.”

“It’s tough to say if I felt Deontay’s power in sparring because of the headgear and bigger gloves. I think it’s more about his speed,” a confident Helenius says. “Some people punch with a lot of force, but I think his best attribute is his explosiveness.”

This fight card will also feature former IBF Super Middleweight Champion Nashville native Caleb “Sweethands” Plant and former two-time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Anthony “The Dog” Dirrell. In the co-main event, these former champions, Plant and Dirrell, will face off at 168-pounds for a WBC Super Middleweight Title Eliminator bout.

Less than a year ago, Plant nearly took Canelo Alvarez to the distance in their fight, though he got knocked out in the 11th round. This fight could be a tune-up for Plant if he comes in there firing on all cylinders. Dirrell is considered a quality opponent for Plant and needs to win this fight convincingly if he wants to fight for a championship belt sooner than later.

The telecast will also include undefeated Cuban sensation Frank Sanchez, who will go up against Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron in a 10-round heavyweight match-up. Bantamweight contenders Gary Antonio Russell and Emmanuel Rodriguez will renew their rivalry when they meet Saturday night for the second time in 15 months. This 12-round rematch will get the pay-per-view telecast of fight night started at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from Brooklyn, New York.