Former heavyweight world champion, Anthony Joshua, claimed he was “carrying the division” after knocking out late replacement, Robert Helenius, at London’s O2 Arena to further his ambitions of a bout with Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia in January.
Joshua poleaxed veteran Helenius, who had taken the fight at seven days’ notice, with an overhand right against the ropes midway through the seventh round, causing the towering Finn to require oxygen as the Briton bounded out of the ring to celebrate his first knockout victory since 2020 with supporters.
“I’m going to carry this heavyweight division to the top,” Joshua told DAZN after another curiously hesitant performance following his unconvincing points win against Jermaine Franklin in the same arena in April.
“People need to leave me alone and let me do what I want. This is my time in the ring. People need to let me breathe.”
It’s a first knockout win for Joshua in four fights and almost three years, and he bounds off to the side of the ring as Helenius falls against the ropes and down to the canvas, receiving oxygen once he’s back up.
Joshua has a chat with ringside admirers, including Conor McGregor. Once he returned to the ring, he embraced Helenius, who exchanged a some warm words with him during a prolonged conversation.
Round 6: Anthony Joshua attempted to move Robert Helenius back at the start of the sixth, then landed with a jab. He’s not using the feints he deployed towards the end of the fifth round.
Helenius was perhaps showing signs of tiring. Joshua winds him with a jab to the body, but seems to relent just when he looks like he’s about to unload.
These are decent tactics from Helenius, who doesn’t look liable to saunter onto the kind of shot that did for him when he was flattened by Deontay Wilder in a round.
Round 5: A left hook and right hand to the body almost have Robert Helenius pinned, but the 6ft 9in giant shows his wiliness again, almost kneeling as he makes his way out of the knot.
Helenius doesn’t look short of confidence, trying with a sharp right, then taking a left hook as he treads forward after Anthony Joshua misses with an attempted winging body shot.
The older man won’t get caught in the mixer. He’s breathing heavily in his corner as he takes instructions in between bells. Whoomp! (There It Is) by Tag Team rings out.
Round 4: Robert Helenius does well to hold on as Anthony Joshua lands with a left and another right with two minutes remaining in the fourth round. Helenius ties him up, using his experience.
Helenisu attempts to flick out a left jab. Joshua, again, tries to close the distance, teeing off with a left before stepping back.
Joshua has that troublesome eye iced in the corner at the end of the round.
Round 3: Trainer Derrick tells Anthony Joshua to take his time and not to open up. Joshua winks at him before returning to his feet.
Joshua attempts three left-hand jabs, Robert Helenius backing off each time. Helenius tries a right, then a left to the body.
Joshua, who has a marked left eye, tries to corner Helenius during the closing minute of the round, landing to the jaw with a decent right hand which sets Helenius, who was retreating, off balance rather than genuinely askew. Joshua fails to follow up with anything meaningful.
Round 2: “I’ve known Helenius since the amateur days and I know he doesn’t like pressure,” says Andy Lee on analytical duties for DAZN.
Robert Helenius finds Anthony Joshua’s chin with a left-hand job, then gets caught on his beard with a right hand.
Not much to read into this round, although Helenius will take encouragement – as will Joshua’s critics – from the Finn going more than twice as far as he did against Deontay Wilder.
Round 1: Robert Helenius doesn’t look unduly daunted, feinting and coming forward. At one stage he finds himself on the end of a sharp jab, but he lands himself with two body shots and doesn’t appear shy to let his hands go.
As the round ends, Helenius widens his hands and beckons Joshua on, nodding his head forward. Joshua wants to step within range against his former sparring partner but hasn’t managed to effectively yet.
