Joshua celebrated the knockout by leaping outside the ring and embracing former UFC champion Conor McGregor.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former unified heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, needed seven rounds to defeat stand-in opponent, Robert Helenius, in their heavyweight bout on Saturday night.
Joshua’s seventh-round knockout of the Finnish was his first KO win since he defeated Kubrat Puliev on December 12, 2020.
Joshua was originally set for his third clash with Dillian Whyte at the O2 Arena, having lost to his fellow Briton as an amateur before knocking him out in 2015.
But Whyte was pulled from the fight after returning an adverse anti-doping test last week. Helenius was drafted in, just seven days after having fought and won in Finland.
Joshua was once again cautious in the fight’s early stages, even drawing some boos from those in attendance, but that all change with a brilliant right hand that connected on ‘The Nordic Nightmare’.
His fast right hand sent Helenius tumbling after a three-punch combination.
Helenius folded, rolling down the ropes and the referee didn’t even look to make a count, it was over so quickly.
That’s back-to-back wins for Joshua after his decision victory against Jermaine Franklin in April. It’s the 23rd knockout win of his career and his first since stopping Kubrat Pulev 2020.
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Joshua celebrated the knockout by leaping outside the ring and embracing former UFC champion Conor McGregor.
“People need to leave me alone, this is my time in the ring,” Joshua told DAZN.
“Let me keep doing what I want to do. Helenius, I told him to come again. I think he can cause people a lot of problems.”
This is a huge win for Joshua who had been urged to become more aggressive after his last three fights went the distance as fans sought to see his knockout side again.
Although Deontay Wilder knocked Helenius out in the first round, Joshua will be encouraged by this result ahead of his potential clash against the former WBC heavyweight champion.