BOXING TIPS
Joshua to Win in Round 1 – 3
Joshua Round 2
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Dillian Whyte is out of the fight this Saturday, but veteran Robert Helenius is stepping up to the plate at the last minute. Anthony Joshua has got the steely focus of The Terminator, but he’s been upset by replacements before – can it happen again on Saturday?
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Antony Joshua v Robert Helenius
Saturday, August 12, 10PM
TV: DAZN
Joshua To Win in Round 1-3
The fight at the O2 Arena in London was supposed to be Joshua’s long-awaited rematch with bitter rival Whyte, but Whyte’s drug test came back hot – not for the first time – and after a quick scramble to save the card, Helenius was announced as the next opponent in AJ’s comeback.
The ‘Nordic Nightmare’ was in the ring just a few days ago when he faced local novice Mika Mielonen in his homeland of Finland – Helenius won the mismatch by third round TKO and he looked in good shape for the 36th bout of his extended career. The prospect of Joshua won’t phase the seasoned campaigner, but that doesn’t mean that he has a shot at victory.
Helenius is a big lump and well-schooled, and he can make it a tough night’s work for an opponent who isn’t too cute or too quick. When he faced Whyte back in 2017 he took the Londoner the distance but lost almost every round on the judges’ cards.
The best wins on Helenius’ resume are against men who had world rankings in the range of 25-50. The experienced Finn may fancy his chance though as Joshua struggled both times he faced a late replacement – Big Josh muscled his way to a 10th round victory over Carlos Takam in 2017 and he was sensationally beaten up by Andy Ruiz in 2019.
Helenius’ losses may be indicative of his level – he was stopped in six rounds by average Frenchman Johann Duhaupas in 2016, he was flattened by former NFL player Gerald Washington in 2019, and in 2022 he was obliterated in one round by Deontay Wilder.
AJ hasn’t won by KO inside six rounds since 2016 when he chopped down Eric Molina in three swift sessions, but Helenius is in the class of Molina, and he’s nowhere near the level of the likes of Wlad Klitschko, Oleksandr Usyk, Alexander Povetkin, Joseph Parker or Ruiz.
This is the two-time world champion’s easiest bout in seven years and I think we’ll see vintage destructive Joshua at his home venue of the O2. The Watford man still has a KO ratio of 78% and he used to be known for explosive early stoppages – I’m backing Josh to win inside three rounds on Saturday.
Joshua to Win in Round 2
Everyone was underwhelmed with Joshua’s last performance against unheralded American Jermaine Franklin in April, but the stocky heavyweight showed heart, a granite chin and tricky defensive skills. In comparison, Helenius is upright, slow and easy to hit.
Franklin came into his bout with AJ from a full camp and a belief that he could get the upset victory – Helenius is taking this fight with less than a week’s notice and there’s no doubt he’ll be happy to return home with a fat paycheck.
Whyte outclassed Helenius with an average performance in 2017, but now the Scandinavian is a 39-year-old in the twilight of his career. Joshua would’ve been favourite to comfortably beat Whyte and he is a massive favourite this weekend.
The home fighter has scored eight second round wins in his 28-fight career and if you’re looking for big odds, another Round-2 finish is worth a punt.
BOXING TIPS
Joshua to Win in Round 1 – 3
Joshua Round 2
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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