Following the cancellation of Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte due to an adverse finding in Whyte’s pre-fight drug test, a replacement has been found at extremely late notice. Set to clash at the O2 Arena on Saturday night, Joshua will now face Sweden’s, Robert Helenuis. Helenuis has a record of 32-4. He returned just last Saturday, defeating Mika Mielonen via thrid round TKO.
Robert Helenius won a comeback fight at a 15th-century medieval castle in Finland last Saturday, now he's fighting Anthony Joshua at the O2 Arena this Saturday… pic.twitter.com/f2GZaRLSoq
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 8, 2023
Who is Anthony Joshua’s New Opponent?
Helenius is a recognisable name in the world of heavyweight boxing. He suffered a loss to Dillian Whyte back in 2017 and lost to Deontay Wilder in Wilder’s return in just one round last October.
Heavy Duty at the O2 this Saturday 💣 No PPV – all part of your @daznboxing subscription. Let’s GO 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jXERV7hDZn
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) August 8, 2023
He’s got knockout power at the lower level, shocking many by finishing prospect Adam Kownacki in their first fight and getting a TKO in their second fight as well. He’s notched 21 knockouts across 32 wins, however, many of those have not come at the world championship level.
What does this mean for Joshua?
Joshua is still very much on the comeback trail. After his back-to-back losses against Oleksandr Usyk, he returned in an underwhelming performance against Jermaine Franklin, where many questioned if he still has ‘it’. He negotiated his way through a 12-round decision victory but failed to impress.
Will a victory over Helenius really prove anything? It’s highly doubtful. With that being said, it will do Joshua some good to actually get back in there and not put his entire training camp to waste. The Swede isn’t as good or as big as a name at Whyte, however, if Joshua can get the finish victory, it will at least be one more fight removed from the Usyk disappointment.
Whatever happens, Joshua regularly puts on a big show. This fight, now free with your DAZN subscription will go a big way in getting Joshua back to where he belongs, at the top of the table in heavyweight boxing.
