Anthony Joshua, the British-Nigerian boxing star, delivered a spectacular knockout win over Robert Helenius in their heavyweight clash at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night.
The former heavyweight champion landed a devastating right hand in the seventh round that sent his Finnish opponent crashing to the canvas.
The victory marked Joshua’s first knockout win since December 2020 when he stopped Kubrat Pulev in a WBA, IBO, IBF and WBO title defence. It was also his second consecutive win since losing his heavyweight belts to Oleksandr Usyk, who beat him twice in 2021 and 2022.
Helenius, who stepped in as a late replacement for the banned Dylian White, needed oxygen after the knockout but recovered to congratulate a slim-looking Joshua before leaving the ring on his own feet.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, praised his fighter’s performance and said that this was the new and improved version of AJ. He said that Joshua had to be patient and find his range before unleashing his power punch. He also said that there was a lot on the line for Joshua and that he still had to be more aggressive in his future fights.
Joshua improved his record to 26 wins and three losses, with 23 of his wins coming by knockout. The 33-year-old is expected to face Deontey Wilder in January 2024. Wilder knocked out Helenius in the first round of their fight last October.
