By Per Ake Persson

Heavyweight Robert Helenius, 25-2, returns to action on March 17 in Rakvere, Estonia, and takes on Yury Bykhovtsev, 10-14-3.

Helenius was last seen losing to DillianWhyte after flat performance last October, but Team Helenius writes in a press release that it should be put down to illness while in training and an injury in the first round.

Robert had just before the Whyte fight came up been sparring Anthony Joshua and things looked up. But now the Nordic Nightmare face a long way back and the first step is against Bykhovtsev, who beat former amateur star Gasan Gasanov in his last fight.

In the other pro fight in Rakvere Russian super welterweight Fedor Vinogorad is in action on what otherwise is a K 1 / MMA event.

IN OTHER NEWS: WBA Super Bantamweight Champion Danny Roman (23-2-1, 9 KOs) is in the final stages of his training camp.

The Los Angeles native arrived in Tokyo last week, and in seven days, will make his first world title defense.

Roman puts his recently acquired world title on the line against No. 11 rated challenger Ryo Matsumoto (21-1, 19 KOs) of Japan on Wednesday, Feb. 28.



The 12-round world championship fight, dubbed "The Challenge," is promoted by Thompson Boxing Promotions in association with Ohashi Promotions and will take place from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Roman, 27, has put the finishing touches on a training camp that started in Los Angeles and concluded in Tokyo.

Roman is no stranger to fighting in Japan. He traveled to the island nation in September and knocked out Shun Kubo, who was the world champion at the time, in the ninth round.

The "Baby Faced Assassin" made it look easy in what was his first world title shot. He won every round on every scorecard with the exception of the first round on one score sheet. He battered Kubo on multiple occasions, dropping him in the seventh and eighth rounds before finishing him off in the ninth.