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Former world champion Anthony Joshua required seven rounds to defeat his stand-in opponent Robert Helenius during their heavyweight bout on Saturday.
Helenius was brought in as a replacement after competing in Finland just last weekend. This change occurred due to Dillian Whyte being unable to participate in the anticipated all-British showdown, as a result of “adverse analytical findings” in a recent doping test.
The 39-year-old Helenius, who boasted a record of 32 wins and four defeats from his 36 professional bouts, experienced a first-round knockout at the hands of Deontay Wilder in October.
During his recent match, he skillfully evaded a recurrence of that unfortunate setback on Saturday. However, as Joshua took a careful approach in the early rounds, disapproving boos resonated through the packed crowd at London’s O2 Arena in the third round.
Joshua, on the other hand, delivered a powerful left hook that found its mark, followed by a well-timed right to Helenius’ face later in the same round.
Displaying his local hero status, Joshua managed to shake up Helenius once more in the fourth round. However, the Finnish veteran retaliated, catching Joshua off guard with a swift jab.
The intensity of the fifth round left Helenius with a bloodied nose, a testament to Joshua’s relentless offense. Despite Joshua momentarily causing him to stumble with a left uppercut, Helenius displayed resilience and managed to weather through an uneventful sixth round.
Joshua certainly didn’t disappoint his fans, delivering exactly what they came for as he executed a stunning knockout on Helenius with a commanding right-hand punch in the seventh round.
