Joshua had requested a rematch with Dillian Whyte, but Whyte failed a drug test, therefore Robert Helenius stepped in and accepted the offer on five days’ notice. Joshua entered the fight with a large future payout on the line, whilst Helenius entered with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
British Nigerian Boxer, Anthony Joshua on Saturday night won his encounter with a Finnish boxer, Robert Helenius at the 02 Arena in London, United Kingdom, Boxing News 24 reports.
Joshua had requested a rematch with Dillian Whyte, but Whyte failed a drug test, therefore Robert Helenius stepped in and accepted the offer on five days’ notice. Joshua entered the fight with a large future payout on the line, whilst Helenius entered with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Anthony Joshua lost his WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight titles the last time he faced a substitute opponent, and on August 12th, at the 02 Arena in London, he faced the same scenario again, but this time he came out victorious, knocking out Robert Helenius (32-5, 21 KOs) in the 7th round
A similar incident happened in 2019 when Anthony Joshua was scheduled to fight Jarrell Miller, but Miller failed his drug test, and late replacement Andy Ruiz Jr shocked the world by knocking Joshua down four times and eventually stopping him in the 7th round.
Helenius began the fight by moving forward, using his jab, then unleashing a right to the body. Anthony Joshua delivered a strong left hook in the first minute of the second round, followed by a big right-hand punch thirty seconds later.
In the third round, the roles were inverted, with Joshua driving forward and Helenius battling off the back foot. Joshua kept the jab busy, and he finished the third round with another good right hand.
Joshua ramped up the tempo in the fifth round, continuing to use his jab and land right hands. As he spent more time battling within, Joshua took his time and proceeded with caution.
Robert Helenius appeared tired at the start of round 7 after being struck by consecutive single jabs. The referee immediately stopped the fight when Anthony Joshua threw a double jab followed by a devastating overhand right that sent Helenius on the mat.
After knocking out Helenius, Anthony Joshua proceeded to get out of the ring and greet the fans in the 02 Arena. He also had an embrace with Conor McGregor prior to getting back in the ring to conduct a post-fight interview.
Anthony Joshua felt relieved after his knockout victory. Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) hailed Robert Helenius for being a late substitute and rescuing the event during his post-fight interview. He also described Helenius as a gifted boxer whom he needed to figure out.
Joshua was quoted by Boxing News 24 while commenting on his showdown with Deontay Wilder, “My back, my back, is there a doctor in here? My back is gone because I’m about to carry this heavyweight division to the top!”
Eddie Hearn, promoter of Matchroom Boxing, also commended Robert Helenius for accepting the challenge and preserving the programme. When questioned about Deontay Wilder, Hearn had a more straightforward response.
“That’s the fight we want. We got a three-fight plan, whether you like it or not,” Hearn said.
“It was Robert Helenius, supposed to be Dillian Whyte, Deontay Wilder, and then Tyson Fury; that’s the ambition of this team,” Hearn was quoted by Boxing News 24 .
Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) is a knockout artist who is looking forward to facing Anthony Joshua, a boxer he’s been linked to for a significant amount of time. A clash between the two former heavyweight champions is an event that boxing fans want to see, and it’s expected to take place in January 2024 in Saudi Arabia.
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