Robert Helenius to Replace Whyte Against Anthony Joshua
After an exhaustive search, there is now a fill-in opponent for Anthony “AJ Joshua’s (25-3, 22 KOs) upcoming fight on August 12. Matchroom Boxing has announced that the two-time unified heavyweight champion will battle Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius (32-4, 21 KOs) at the O2 Arena in London, England, live on DAZN.
A QUICK TURNAROUND
Helenius is a 39-year-old from Sweden who recently fought on August 5, scoring a third-round stoppage over Mika Mielonen. He replaces former world title challenger Dillian Whyte, who was pulled out of what would have been a rematch with Joshua due to testing adverse findings of a banned substance in a pre-fight drug test.
The Nordic Nightmare is familiar to boxing enthusiasts. Many fans remember him for his stoppage wins over Adam Kownacki in March 2020 and October 2021 and a first-round knockout loss to former WBC world title champion Deontay Wilder in October 2022. Joshua has been out of action since a unanimous decision victory over Jermaine Franklin in April 2023.
With all the upheaval following Whyte’s suspicious drug test, AJ could have shut things down and decided not to fight. But he’s hungry to fight and raring to get back into the ring.
WANTING TO MAKE A BIG STATEMENT
Eddie Hearn is the promoter of Joshua and believes that Helenius is a tricky fighter. During a sit-down interview with Matchroom, Hearn talked about the importance of this bout. Despite the sudden change of opponent, Hearn is looking for his fighter to win impressively.
“We want the right fight, want him to get out there, but I just want to watch him shine, and hopefully we can make that happen.”
It’s understandable why Hearn is adamant about his fighter not dropping the ball and wanting Joshua to put on a show. Should Joshua win, he will likely next face Wilder later this year in the Middle East.
