- Anthony Joshua reminded the boxing world about his power as he stopped Robert Helenius with a brutal knockout in the seventh round
- The knockout will give Joshua’s confidence a major boost as he prepares to face Deontay Wilder
Anthony Joshua reminded the boxing world about his power as he stopped Robert Helenius with a brutal knockout in the seventh round. Joshua and Helenius faced off on Saturday evening at London’s O2 Arena.
Joshua began the fight cautiously, even drawing boos from some of the fans. However, this changed after he brutally knocked out his opponent with a brilliant right hand in the seventh round. An emotionally charged Joshua climbed out of the ring, high-fived fans and shared a beer with MMA star Conor McGregor following his massive win.
Anthony Joshua. Photo/ Bloody Elbow.
Joshua, a former unified champion, has extended his record to 26 wins and just three defeats. He has knocked out his opponents in the ring 23 times. Speaking after victory over Robert Helenius, Joshua said he is ready to top the heavyweight division.
“It’s a fickle sport, you’ve got to be real about this industry and not get caught up. I’ve done my job tonight. My back’s gone, is there a doctor in here? I want to carry this heavyweight division to the top.” BBC Sports quotes Anthony Joshua.
The knockout will give Joshua’s confidence a major boost as he prepares to face Deontay Wilder. The mouthwatering contest between Joshua and Deontay Wilder has been in the making for years now and will take place in January 2023.
How Anthony Joshua Knocked Out Robert Helenius
Anthony Joshua was initially supposed to fight Dyllian White but the former WBC interim heavyweight champion pulled out of the fight after returning an adverse anti-doping finding. This left Joshua looking for a replacement opponent at just a week’s notice, and Helenius made himself available for the fight.
Joshua confidently strode to the ring to a medley of a violinist playing the title song from the film ‘The Godfather’ and then the more upbeat ‘Insomnia’ by Faithless. This was his ninth time fighting at the 02 Arena.
Anthony Joshua struggled to find rhythm at the beginning of the bout. Helenius took the middle of the ring in the first few seconds of the first round and swung a wild left. However, it didn’t have the impact to drop his opponent.
Joshua was moving freely in the ring while looking to set traps for his opponent. He was being careful not to impose himself on the stand-in fighter.
As early as the third round, fans began jeering Joshua as they wanted to see combinations, not the tentative approach he was using. The fans got what they wanted in the fourth round when Joshua landed a solid left. However, no strong attack followed afterwards.
Anthony Joshua knocked out Robert Helenius in the seventh round. Photo/ Bad Left Hook.
Robert Helenius grew in confidence in the fifth round and even showed signs of defeating Joshua. However, a blasting shot from the 33-year-old Briton dropped Helenius heavily in the seventh round, with referee Victor Loughlin halting the contest immediately.
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