Anthony Joshua was supposed to fight Dillian Whyte, but that bout was canceled. Robert Helenius agreed to step in on short notice, so the spectacle at the O2 Arena in London is set to go this Saturday night.
Before Betting on Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius
Whyte is out of the picture, with him being ousted following a failed drug test. That caused all the hell to break loose, but the organizers found a replacement. AJ can count on one very tough challenge here, which could tell us whether he recovered from two losses to Usyk.
He did have one battle after that, against Jermaine Franklin, whom he beat via unanimous decision, but didn’t look good at all. The bout against Whyte was supposed to bring him back to the top of the division and secure him the fight with either Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, including a potential shot at one of the belts.
Helenius had a fight last week. The veteran from Finland beat Mika Mielonen via a third-round TKO, meaning that he was in solid shape before Joshua. The 39-year-old lost to Wolder in October last year in New York, getting knocked out in the opening round. So far in his career, Helenius fought 36 times, winning on 32 occasions and losing four matches. One was against Wilder, and the rest against Gerald Washington, Whyte, and Johann Duhaupass.
He is a gatekeeper toward the top of the division and a good one. Helenius is a well-rounded fighter who doesn’t have some massive power in his hands but has massive experience and solid tactical knowledge. Above all, he is very disciplined.
Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius Boxing Offshore Betting Odds
| Offshore Sportsbook | Joshua | Helenius |
|---|---|---|
| BetOnline | 1.04 | 12 |
Joshua is the favorite here, and anything but his confident (KO) win would be a big bust for his plans. We expect him to go out and trash Helenius until the fifth round, so if you have a chance to bet on this, use it.
