August 13, (THEWILL) – Anthony Joshua got back to his winning ways on Saturday night, knocking out Robert Helenius in the 7th round of their heavyweight bout, at the O2 Arena in London.
After back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk and a first win in his previous bout against Jermaine Franklin, Joshua was looking to regain his form against the late replacement Helenius. The fight started tentatively, with Joshua utilising his jab over the first two rounds while avoiding any significant offense from Helenius. The reserved start led to some restlessness and boos from the London crowd, who were hoping to see more aggression from their hometown fighter.
However, Joshua finally gave them what they wanted in the 7th when he landed a thunderous right hand that put Helenius on the canvas and ended the fight. With the win, Joshua improves his record to 26-3 and has now won two straight fights in 2023. Earlier in April, he dominated Franklin en route to a unanimous decision victory. The bout with Helenius was originally meant to be a rematch with Dillian Whyte, but a failed drug test forced Whyte to withdraw just a week before the event.
At 39 years old, Helenius stepped in on short notice but was unable to mount much of a challenge. Just last month, he had knocked out Mika Mielonen in the 3rd round. Meanwhile, Joshua’s sights will be set on bigger matchups, with promoter Eddie Hearn already eyeing a December showdown against Deontay Wilder. The two heavyweights have been on a collision course for years and could finally meet by year’s end.
Despite losing his belts to Usyk, Joshua remains one of the premier heavyweights in the world. With his trademark power on full display against Helenius, he served noticed that he is still a force in the division. Joshua will look to carry this momentum into what would be one of the biggest fights in recent heavyweight history against Wilder.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
