Anthony Joshua next fight: what to expect from Robert Helenius as he replaces Dillian Whyte

Anthony Joshua will meet Robert Helenius in the ring on Saturday (12 August), with the Finnish fighter stepping in as a last-minute replacement for original opponent Dillian Whyte.

The former heavyweight champion was due to fight-long term nemesis Whyte at the O2 arena for the first time in seven years after his victory in 2015.

But that clash was cancelled at the start of August after a random anti-doping test on Whyte returned “adverse analytical findings”.

The announcement comes three days after Helenius’ last fight on Saturday 5 August and the 39-year-old is aiming to win his second fight in seven days.

But what can we expect from AJ’s next opponent and is he capable of pulling off an upset?

Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Robert Helenius?

Robert Helenius is a 39-year-old professional boxer who has competed in the heavyweight division for 15 years. He is often referred to as The Nordic Nightmare by fans.

As an amateur boxer he won a silver medal whilst representing Finland at the European Championships in 2006.

Helenius turned professional in 2008 and was unbeaten for the first eight years of his boxing career. During this period he recorded notable victories over former world champions Lamon Brewster, Samuel Peter and Siarhei Liakhovich.

The 6ft 6in fighter suffered his first career loss in 2016 when he was beaten by French fighter Johann Duhaupas in the sixth round.

The Nordic Nightmare bounced back from this loss with knockout victories over Konstantin Airich, Gonzalo Basile and Evgeny Orlov before suffering a second career defeat to Dillian Whyte in 2017.

Since then the Finn has recorded back-to-back victories over Yury Bykhautsou and Adam Kownacki, but he has also suffered defeats to both Gerald Washington and Deontay Wilder.

Overall Helenius has a record of 32 victories and four defeats, with 21 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

What has Anthony Joshua said about the fight?

Anthony Joshua has praised Robert Helenius for taking the fight on at such short notice and says he is hoping to make steps forward to bigger and better things.

The Watford-born fighter is hoping to reclaim the heavyweight title for the third time in his career after back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua said: “This wasn’t in the script. I respect Helenius and may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring. I am laser focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things but the road map has a checkpoint. Saturday night. May the best man win.”

What has Robert Helenius said about the fight?

Robert Helenius is returning to fight in the ring for the second time in seven days and his most recent victory was a third round knockout over Mika Mielonen on Saturday 5 August.

Anthony Joshua’s last fight at short notice was a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr who replaced Jarell Miller in 2019 and Helenius is hoping to stage a similar upset.

Helenius said: “I am excited about fighting Anthony Joshua on August 12. I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice. This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it.”

How to watch the fight between Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius?

Anthony Joshua’s upcoming fight with Robert Helenius will be shown exclusively on DAZN. 

The undercard includes fights between unbeaten heavyweights Filip Hrgovic and Demsey McKean and a meeting between Derek Chisora and Gerald Washington.

Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that the fight will be available as part of the DAZN subscription and there will be no pay-per-view charges.