Deontay Wilder returned to the boxing ring Saturday night against Robert Helenius, and he delivered a loud message with both his fists and his mouth. Wilder hit Helenius with a savage first-round knockout at Barclays Center and then made a major proclamation afterward.

“Deontay Wilder is back,” he said in his postfight interview on Fox, per ESPN. “The excitement in the heavyweight division is back.”

This was Deontay Wilder's first time back in the ring since he fought Tyson Fury last October. Wilder lost that fight for
Fury, which was a trilogy battle.

Wilder made quick work of Helenius with his savage knockout blow.

“I knew what he is capable of,” Wilder said after the bout. “I didn't take him for granted. I could look in his eyes. He wanted to be [the first Finnish] heavyweight champion.”

Here's that knockout punch from Deontay Wilder:

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While this knockout was impressive, Deontay Wilder actually did show a lot of concern for Helenius' well-being afterward. Wilder got emotional while talking about the dangers of the sport and is hoping Helenius will be okay after the devastating punch. It was a classy display by Wilder after his victory:

Now what's next for Deontay Wilder? He mentioned unified Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Andy Ruiz as potential future opponents, but nothing is set in stone just yet. Still, it's clear Wilder has plenty left in the tank and wants to dominate in the coming years. We'll see what he has in store for the boxing world.