Two-time former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) knocked out late sub Robert “The Nordic Nightmare” Helenius (32-5, 21 KOs) in round seven on Saturday night at The O2 Arena in London. Tactical fight early on. AJ landed a few right hands. Helenius mainly worked the jab to the head and body. Joshua upped the pressure in round five. Helenius looked tired in round six, but AJ didn’t let his hands go.
AJ finally laid out Helenius with a huge right hand in round seven. Time was 1:27.
Helenius replaced Dillian Whyte on five days’ notice after Whyte tested positive for a banned substance.
Next up for Joshua could be Deontay Wilder.
Boring fight. looked like 2 women were fighting.
The only woman is you Chucky… Typical arm chair warrior…
Obviously, you’ve got woman problems haha. All of your comments are about how women don’t “cook” and how much you hate women fighting.
That was a massive KO. A confident AJ is a dangerous fighter.
That was a confident showing? He looked miserably gunshy.. AJ is mentally shot.. still very capable, but mentally defeated… a few times today, he looked like the opponent.
No props to Helenius for fighting with jab,size and Survival mode?
Agree hands…so far removed from that young spark that we saw fight Klitschko….Don’t know if we will see that fighter again…for now..Good win…Do like how AJ though appreciate his fans…and How he is living in the moment with his fans…that is special…
If this helps AJ get his mojo back, good for him because of what we think happens next actually goes through, he’ll need a little more than that.
Now all we have to do is wait for said confidence to actually show up.
Good KO, I find AJ fighting like he is insecure.
He needs to be more assertive especially against Wilder
Against wilder rushing in would be a Mistake..do you watch Boxing?
Do you know anything about boxing? Three things for you:
1- how Fury beat Wilder by being timid?
2- One can be assertive, mount offensives and still don’t be exposed.
3- Robert was not Wilder or side A for AJ to look so timid
One thing for sure, AJ can’t win fight by being timid, indecisive, and insecure
The problem with the comparison is that Joshua is nowhere near as polished as Fury and he would get exposed trying to be responsibly assertive. Not only does Wilder have a MOAB, it’s lightning fast and awkward. You see how AJ was making an obvious setup from round 1 for the right up top? Helenius helped AJ dig the hole. Against Wilder, that window would not be left open without a rocket being fired.
I don’t know how AJ was making a setup when he told his trainer, he can’t find his range.
AJ can’t win with Wilder by being timid and economical.
I do concur that AJ is not Fury, the comparison fighting Wilder one can’t be timid
You didn’t need to make a dumb comment to him about claiming he knows nothing about boxing
So he can make it to me, but I can’t…
Are you his girl?
Amen! this guy Tai knows his sheeet! very good assessment. Don’t listen to these casies!!!!
Thank you
AJ needs to fight Wilder asap! Knocking out Helenius who just fought last week will not improve his career.
Wilder is becoming the king of inactivity. Getting Wilder is easier said than done. I don’t know if he perpetually holds out for more money or what, but we sure haven’t seen much of him.
Valid point. But I think offering Joshua on a platter will motivate him enough to leave his comfort zone. That’s an easy 20 mil for both.
So, getting flattened by Wilder will do it? Joshua needs some fights like this one to build up his confidence and strengthen his mental state before being thrown into the lion’s den, because he is one bad defeat away from considering retirement, and that one could be against Wilder.
Oh but wilder fought him! Does that improve his career?
Time for Helenius to retire. He was a good fighter, but never elite. He’s had some big paydays, but he’s been put out hard a few times. Enjoy retirement.
I agreed he has nothing else to prove had a great career fought great heavyweights enjoy your retirement with his family and his life
The Nordic who has Nightmares.
Amen, Helenius is a washed up bum with a glass jaw. He needs to call it a day. Big stiff.
I don’t think Helenius was trying to win. He would have had to go for the KO if he was. He knew he wasn’t going to win on points there. He didn’t throw one single right with bad intentions.
Exactly!!! I was getting mad that he didnt throw any rights.
I am sorry to say that Helenius looked like someone who was just waiting for the appropriate moment to lie down on the floor. I was rooting for him but he didn’t even try. Probably they made an “arrangement”.
Note: I thought Joshua’s ring walk was very classy.
about a good a showing as if Whyte wasn’t removed. Joshua may deserve one last push but these fights aren’t the direction to take towards achieving that goal.
Was hoping Helanius could somehow win, but knew he probably would get caught sooner or later.
It was basically a sparring session, Helenius got his paycheck and AJ got his W, it was a horrible show at least make me feel like this was not rigged or scripted…wasted my time
wow.. so not a surprise
For AJ any chance to beat Wilder or Fury need to go back to old fighting self go back to Rob McCracken if those fights fall through should fight maybe Andy Ruiz in the short term
The ending helps forget the many short comings in Joshua seen earlier. Jesus Christ could train Joshua and I’m not sure I’d see much improvement. He fights tentative when there’s even a whiff of in-coming. However he does punch hard as most men his size, shape and athletisism are wont to do.
Fixed mob fight aj and the nightmare both mob bums where’s the bbc to check these 2 juice using bums at arrest em all wbc trash
I don’t know about the juice part but it looked to me like the fight may well have been fixed.
AJ needs one more – Mark Hunt Paul Gallen or Sonny Bill Williams before he fights the Bronze Bomber. Helenius should have retired after getting blasted by Wilder / he goes down hard out cold like he’s dead. Not a good sign.
Those three? Don’t be utterly ridiculous.
Andy Ruiz took the spirit out of AJ.
He F*^%#@ him up for life.
Yup.
AJ will mentally break down as soon as wilder lands one of those right hands. AJ mentally just hasn’t been there since the Ruiz KO.
AJ might lose his life fighting DW
Sure feels like that.
It was expected! Let me guess, his next fight will be against the human punchingbags chisora or dillian whyte!
Don’t be fooled…Chisora..maybe old ….but he knows something about boxing.. in shape…he can be deadly..
.
Poor Helenius got woked!
Really don’t see the point. Every thing is so controlled in this land of the free.
Nice setup by Joshua for the right hand finish. The big Swede was trapped and couldn’t get out of the way. Somebody close to Helenius needs to have a conversation with him about hanging the gloves up.
Two bad KOs in near succession.
helenius is from finland.
Born in Sweden.
AJ’s new style is bewildering, its like he thinks he is a slick boxer or something. Hurry up and make AJ vs the bronze bomber already
Bewildering until you realize it is kind of working. Then it just becomes boring.
Shame on Helenius and his corner for not seeing the obvious. Joshua was touching the body trying to establish a pattern in order go upstairs with a bomb. He even tried it on several occasions. All in all, it was one hell of a shot. The cliche “dropped like a sack of potatoes” definitely applies here.
I was off. Wayyyy off. I had it the other way. You can hear the announcers pushing for a showdown with Wilder from early on. If the fight takes place, it will be a short night for Wilder. Be it 5 years ago or 5 months from now, the results will be the same.
I would love to see AJ vs Wilder.
Indeed. Although, I hate to admit it, I I only want to see it because I want to see Joshua KO’d. Seems almost inevitable.
Wilder is gonna destroy this version of AJ. AJ is fighting really scared and cautious. His dog mentality has faded….
Very well said spot on!
Wilder KOs Joshua in 3
The real great boxer are gone or retired. It a shame.
Joshua won’t last 5 rounds vs wilder
Go ahead and hang them up now Helenius.
I hate to say it, and I don’t really believe it, but this fight looked fixed.
It’s a mob controlled fight with Jose suliman as the mob boss he tells you when you takes the fall keeps Vegas happy
The wilder fight IS not a good Idea. Joshua will sleep.
Helenius got a glass jaw
Im pretty sure helenius threw the fight. How much did hearn offer him to not throw anything meaningful or with bad intent?? Where were the combos? That strong right hand? Didnt even try at all.
I’m laughing at all you casual armchair fans who attack AJ.
AJ had to fight a last minute replacement opponent who was very tall and awkward and came to fight.
AJ bagged his 2nd win with a KO after 2 back to back defeats, so what if the win wasn’t perfect, a win is a win.
You guys seem to forget the ass whooping Wilder received 3 times and that he has had only a 30 second win since those defeats.
Not good for Wilder and what if AJ lands one on Wilders jaw the way Fury did, it could be lights out again for Wilder.
I’m looking forward to January and hopefully see AJ duke it out with Wilder.
It’s a 50/50 fight.
Lol a casual calling somebody else a casual. Tyson Fury whipped Wilder’s ass 3 times? Tyson Fury landed 84 punches to Wilder’s 71 in the first fight and Fury got knocked down twice. Nobody got their ass kicked that right. In the second fight Wilder did lose easily. In the first Fury vs Wilder fight Wilder knocked down Fury 2 times again and just gassed out and lost
Also Helenius is 6’6. Helenius is also a bum. Joshua still struggled with a bum who is past his prime. Wilder isn’t good and neither is Joshua
Says the casual Harry.
Regardless of the stats and the knockdowns, Wilder got beaten up 3 times, any fan with a brain could see that.
Wilder made every excuse in the book for the 2nd beatdown which shows that he is a pathetic loser and a shot fighter. AJ at least never made any excuses for his defeats and went back to the drawing board to rebuild and by the way has a much better resume than Wilder, that’s the difference between these two.
AJ is more skilled, Wilder relies one one punch, this could gone either way.
A faded Wilder will destroy a faded Joshua.
AJ is big and strong, but Wilder is faster and longer.
Inevitably that means Wilder by KO. Especially because Joshua can’t fight coming forward like Fury did with Wilder. Joshua still doesn’t trust his own chin either and he will be extremely tentative. Easy fight for wilder.
Not even close to an arm chair fan been around the biz over 30 yrs
I think the concern people have is that AJ does not seem willing to engage anymore and seems to play it safe these days.
My opinion is that Aj has improved his boxing but his fighting skill has diminished.
Best example I can give you is a power pitcher that hurt his shoulder that has to change his way of pitching and rarely throws fast balls anymore
Joshua looked ok, nothing special where I would want to tune into his fights.
He is a top 10 heavyweight in a weak division.
Nothing more nothing less.
He could catch wilder but based on his new fighting style ie after getting knocked down by klitschko years ago I don’t see him winning.
Way too passive and afraid to get hit.
The last thing needs Joshua is going up against Deontay. We’re talking highlight reel here.
Not a fan of Wilder but I don’t think Joshua’s stiff/tentative style will be enough to win. A Wilder win is probably better for the sport and maybe sets up a Usyk fight. Joshua winning and the only option is a boring fight with Fury that he loses.
sure hope the the big finn retires now
Wilder will knock AJ out.
Enough punishment taken by Helenius in his carreer he needs to retire now..
Helenius always had a puncher’s chance, even thought taking the fight on five days notice, but couldn’t capitalize. He might’ve gotten a decent payday out of it though, but the way he dropped, he needs to consider retiring to preserve his long-term health. This was a predictable win for Joshua though. Would be good to see him against Wilder.
I hope AJ doesn’t choose Andy Ruiz who is clearly dodging Wilder. Since Andy is scared, lets see if AJ is willing to fight Wilder. Its 2023 and the biggest fights are happening so hopefully AJ wants to be apart of this as well. No more Ruiz’s or Helenius type opponents. Who cares if its after a few defeats, the public will still take AJ vs Wilder. It’s a long-time grudge match, the press conference will be unbelievable and guaranteed to end in KO. Ruiz never fights and his last outing was against a 40-year-old Arreola who he barely got by. A third AJ vs Ruiz fight will be boring and stink the place out. I know Wilder is always ready. I hope AJ steps up and demands this fight. AJ vs Wilder in 2023 or early 2024.
It’s difficult to imagine Joshua not getting knocked out by Wilder. Despite this mediocre performance (until the end) he is still one of the most skilled and intelligent fighters in the ring. Unfortunately for him, he is fighting in an era with Fury (too big), Usyk (too skillful) and Wilder (hardest puncher).
AJ is finished He will never win a title again not on this showing-Tentative half hearted jabs hardly a two punch combo scared to be hit and lucky to connect with a washed up fighter-no achievement really-Sad
A.J., Wilder is going to Spark you in one round, the way you stand right in front of your opponents, if you want that fight with Fury to close things out, maybe a bout with lets say Mike ” the bounty ” Hunter would be safe for you to get to the finish line, so you can get that big money fight, but that fight will be a slow death beat-down.

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