Ex-world champion Anthony Joshua easily cleared out Finland’s Robert Helenius on his way to a hoped-for fight with Deontay Wilder.
Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has easily outpointed Finland’s Robert Helenius on his way to a hoped-for fight with Deontay Wilder. In his native London, the 33-year-old won by seventh-round knockout, a crashing right hand ending the fight.
Helenius had stepped in as an opponent because Joshua’s compatriot Dillian Whyte was not available after a positive doping test. Now a fight between “AJ” and the American Wilder, like Joshua a former world champion, is to be fixed in the coming days.
The fight evening in the O2 Arena had been scheduled after the protracted talks for a fight against WBC champion Tyson Fury had failed. It was only in April that Joshua had defeated US-American Jermaine Franklin on points in a build-up fight.
He lost the WBA, WBO and IBF belts to the Ukrainian Alexander Usyk in 2021, and a few months later he also suffered a bitter defeat in the rematch. Joshua currently has 26 victories in 29 professional fights (three defeats).
