ANTHONY JOSHUA WILL face Finland’s longtime heavyweight gatekeeper Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena this Saturday after his originally scheduled opponent, Dillian Whyte, failed a drug test.
Helenius (32-4, 21KOS), a former two-time European heavyweight champion between 2011 and 2016, will take the fight just seven days after he stopped his fellow Finn Mikka Mielonen (previously 6-0, 6KOs) inside three rounds on Saturday night.
The 39-year-old Helenius was stopped in a round by America’s former heavyweight beltholder Deontay Wilder in his previous fight last October.
‘The Nordic Nightmare’, who moved from his birthplace of Sweden to Finland when he was two, has been a professional for 15 years and was also soundly beaten on points by Whyte in 2017.
Due to the comparably anticlimactic nature of the rearranged fight, Joshua-Helenius has been taken off DAZN pay-per-view and will be available to watch as part of the regular DAZN subscription.
“This wasn’t in the script,” Joshua said. “I respect Helenius and may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring.
“I am laser-focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things but the roadmap has a checkpoint: Saturday night. May the best man win.”
“I am excited about fighting Anthony Joshua on 12 August,” added Helenius. “I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice. This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn said that Saturday’s news regarding Whyte’s doping violation “was really disappointing, not only for us but for Anthony Joshua and for the fans”.
“But we got to work and we have done what we’re good at – and we have managed to keep the show on,” Hearn added.
“AJ has been unbelievable throughout this whole process. He is someone who is ready to fight having trained for 12 weeks in Dallas with Derrick James. He has always been a great pro but this just shows me again the hunger he has for the sport.
“He wants to go out there this Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at The O2 and perform.
“There were a lot of options, but we had to make sure it was the right fight for the right deal.
I think Robert Helenius is a good fight. Yes, he lost to Deontay Wilder but that was by a shot that would have probably knocked out a horse! But he came to fight. He can really punch, he’s six-foot-eight and he won at the weekend. Ultimately there is criticism in whatever you do, but I actually think this is a tricky and dangerous fight.
Matchroom have confirmed that refunds will be available for ticketholders at the point of purchase.
