Joshua flattens Helenius with huge right hand in seventh round
Former two-time unified heavyweight titlist takes out late replacement to set up probable fight with Wilder in early 2024
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Anthony Joshua can now turn his attention to a probable January showdown with fellow former heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder for an enormous fight after scoring a sensational one-punch knockout of late replacement Robert Helenius in the seventh round on Saturday at The O2 in London.
Joshua had not scored a knockout since taking out Kubrat Pulev in a unified heavyweight title defense in December 2020, but he improved to 2-2 since as he put Helenius away in highlight-reel fashion with a tremendous right hand on the chin in the main event of the Matchroom Boxing card on DAZN.
Whether there would be a fight was in doubt last Saturday when Joshua’s original opponent, Dillian Whyte, was dropped from their rematch because he had failed a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association random drug test.
Hours after Whyte’s positive test announcement, Helenius returned from a rough first-round knockout loss to Wilder in October and notched a third-round knockout win at home in Finland, after which his manager told him of an offer from Matchroom Boxing that had come earlier in the day to face Joshua seven days later.
Helenius (32-5, 21 KOs), 39, quickly accepted, was in London by Tuesday for fight-week events and then turned in a very credible performance before tasting Joshua’s booming right hand that starched him.
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