The former two-time world heavyweight champion detonated an enormous overhand right in the seventh round to knock his late replacement opponent out cold at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night, setting the scene for a mammoth showdown against fellow former titlist Wilder that is being targeted for Saudi Arabia in January 2024.
It was another patient if undeniably tentative performance from Joshua, to the frustration of many in the crowd who jeered and whistled at one stage – a previously unthinkable possibility at the home of some of his greatest career triumphs – as they expected an emphatic early knockout such as the one Wilder supplied against Helenius in the first round in New York only last year.
However, unlike against Jermaine Franklin in April, when Joshua laboured to an unconvincing points win off the back of those successive damaging defeats by Oleksandr Usyk that deprived him of his world titles for the second time, it came with an explosive finish akin to the Joshua of old as one huge punch ended the fight in an instant and sent Helenius crashing helplessly to the canvas.
It wa Joshua’s first knockout victory since he stopped Kubrat Pulev in the ninth round at Wembley Arena back in December 2021 and his 23rd from now 26 professional wins.
The 39-year-old Helenius – a former two-time European champion who only fought last weekend in a castle in his native Finland, winning on his return from that heavy Wilder knockout – gave a solid account of himself otherwise considering he took the fight on just seven days’ notice after the cancellation of Joshua’s second grudge match with long-time rival Dillian Whyte, with Whyte having returned “adverse analytical findings” in a random pre-fight anti-doping test.
Helenius stayed down after such a savage single-punch knockout and received oxygen on the canvas, but was thankfully able to first sit up and then get back fully to his feet as he shared a warm post-fight embrace with Joshua, who, after immediately producing some “crotch chops” that were the hallmark of legendary WWE stable DX, was eager to celebrate his latest victory with fans and UFC superstar Conor McGregor, with whom he shared a drink at ringside.
On Saturday’s undercard, Derek Chisora laboured to a 34th career victory over American Gerald Washington in a low-key and gruelling battle of two veteran heavyweights, taking a unanimous decision.
Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic retained his status as the No1 challenger to unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk’s IBF belt that will be on the line against Daniel Dubois in Poland on August 26, delivering another underwhelming and frustrating display before producing a devastating last-round stoppage of previously undefeated Australian contender Demsey McKean.
‘Romford Bull’ Johnny Fisher kicked off the heavyweight action by inflicting a highlight-reel seventh-round knockout on Harry Armstrong – who survived a first knockdown within seconds – to claim the vacant Southern Area gold.
Campbell Hatton aced what was billed as the toughest test of his young career to date by outpointing Tom Ansell to move to 13-0, while there were early wins for Brandon Scott, George Liddard and Maiseyrose Courtney in London.
