Ever since his win over Jermain Franklaine earlier this year, British boxer Anthony Joshua had been gunning for a huge fight. While Joshua will most likely have his big fight in December, he would first have to go against Robert Helenius.
Before Helenius, Anthony was scheduled to fight Dillian Whyte for a rematch. However, due to a failed drug test, Whyte was out of the card. Robert had to step in on a week’s notice for possibly the biggest fight of his career.
The Nordic Nightmare almost considered retiring after his loss to Deontay Wilder last year. However, he forfeited the decision to gain another win over Mika Mielonen on August 5, last weekend. This landed him in the perfect spot to face Joshua and possibly fight for the heavyweight title.
Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius first face-off ahead of Saturday night…
[🎥 @MatchroomBoxing] pic.twitter.com/jjKbpb7Z4b
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 9, 2023
Both fighters are coming off a win and have been heavyweight champions at least once in their career. Anthony Joshua boasts a record of 25 wins out of his 28 fights and 22 of them were won via knockout. Meanwhile, Robert Helenius has a record of 32 wins out of his 36 fights and 21 of them were via knockout.
The card takes place on August 12 at the O2 Arena, London, meaning Joshua will have huge support from his British fans. Before moving forward with the fight breakdown, let’s compare the stats of the two heavyweights .
Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius stats
Stats | Anthony Joshua | Robert Helenius |
---|---|---|
Wins | 25 | 32 |
Losses | 3 | 4 |
Height | 6 ft 6 in | 6 ft 7 in |
Division | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
Reach | 82 in | 79 in |
Age | 33 | 39 |
Joshua vs Helenius fight breakdown and predictions
Given Anthony Joshua has had a dedicated training camp, he has all the advantages going into the fight.
He is coming off a win against heavyweight fighter Jermaine Franklin, which he won via a unanimous decision. While Joshua prepared for Dillian Whyte, he will be facing an older opponent on short notice, which makes the fight less challenging for Joshua.
Meanwhile, his opponent Robert Helenius has stepped up to fight Joshua on roughly a week’s notice. However, The Nordic Nightmare won via TKO against Mika Mielonen only last weekend. He has had a dedicated training camp as well, but Anthony Joshua is a much better fighter than Mika.
Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius bout coming up on August 12 pic.twitter.com/xKXP3Gawx7
— Tunde Adepoju (@AdepojuTunde) August 10, 2023
Both fighters don’t have a lot of difference in their heights with Joshua standing at 6 feet 6 inches and Helenius at 6 feet 7 inches. However, the British boxer boasts a three-inch reach advantage over Robert with 82 inches. Given Joshua was the heavyweight champion previously and he is in his prime, the British boxer will be a huge problem for Robert.
However, the Nordic Nightmare cannot be counted out as he is coming off a victory and has been more active than Joshua. He has proved that he has the knockout power to win this fight and can hold his own against Joshua.
If Joshua wins his fight against Robert, he will most likely challenge Deontay Wilder in December. This and the change of opponents on short notice has fans backing the British fighter. Who do you think wins the fight? Tell us your opinions in the comments below.