The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Sherman “The Tank” Williams is heading to Helsinki, Finland, for his next boxing match.

Williams, 40, was originally scheduled to fight in China on October 12.

However, after the latter deal was called off, his manager Si Stern secured a match against Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius at the Ice Hall in Helsinki for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Inter-Continental heavyweight title on November 10.

Twenty eight-year-old Helenius, at 6-feet, 6 and-a-half inches, won the vacant title on November 27, 2011 and successfully defended it three times since then - April 2, 2011, August 28, 2011 and again on December 3, 2011. This will be the first for the year for Helenius, who has a 17-0 win-loss record, 11 via knockout.

“We got a good deal from the WBO and we decided to take it,” said Williams, who enters the fight with a 35-11 record, including 19 knockouts with his last bout being a decision over Chauncy Welliver at the Grand Waldo Conference & Exhibition Centre in Macau, China, on June 28.

As a result of his 12-round decision, Williams was awarded the WBO China Zone and Interim WBO Asia Pacific heavyweight titles. While Helenius is ranked at No.9 in the WBO, Williams is pegged at No.12. The WBO champion is Wladimir Klitschko of the Ukraine. Klitschko also holds both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) titles.

This is the first appearance for Williams in Finland. Although the fight is in Helsinki, Helenius is actually a German. The winner of the fight is certainly assured a possible showdown with Klitschko for the coveted world title sometime next year.

“He’s a pretty big guy at 270 pounds and about 6-7,” said Williams, who who only stands at about 5-11 and about 220. “I saw him fight in about two of his videos. He seemed to be a strong guy with a straight right hand, but I figure I just have to do what I always do and that is to get on the inside and try to throw the left hook.”

Williams, a native of Grand Bahama now residing in Vero Beach, Florida with his wife Kimberly, said he was in the gym working out before the previous fight deal fell through.

“After that deal went down the drain, we got this offer,” Williams said. “So we’re eager to go to Finland and show the whole world that we’re ready to fight for a world title,” he said. “I’m a true warrior. I will go into any destination and fight for a title. I’ve proven myself and once I get through Robert Helenius, I hope to get a shot at the undisputed heavyweight title of the world.”

In preparation for Helenius, Williams said Si and his management team have been hard pressed to find any opponents around Helenius’ size to pit against him in the ring for some sparring sessions. But he noted that they were able to come up with about two 6-2 and 6-4 guys who he will work with this week.

“I don’t know if we have any guys around 6-7 on our national basketball team whom I can recruit,” Williams joked. “But whoever I get, I’m going to work to my advantage. I think it’s going to be an exciting fight. My whole goal is to establish the jab and once I get on the inside, I will try to hit him with a vicious body shot and hope that in three rounds, I can see the flaws of the 6-7 giant that I can take advantage of.”

The last time Williams fought such a huge competitor was on June 29, 2000 when he and Jameel McCline from New York fought to a draw at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.

Williams said he is just hoping that he can get a fair shake from the judges when he takes on Helenius.