Anthony Joshua squares off against replacement opponent Robert Helenius tonight at the O2 Arena, London. The Finnish puncher was drafted in on short notice after Dillian Whyte returned adverse analytical findings in a pre-fight drugs test carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA).
AJ has a lot riding on the fight with a blockbuster showdown against Deontay Wilder at the back end of the year in Saudi Arabia on the line. The Saudis have told Joshua’s representatives that the Wilder deal will be taken off the table in the event of a loss.
Fight times and live streams
The undercard is set to get underway at 6pm with the main event expected to follow at 10pm. DAZN have the broadcasting rights for Joshua vs Helenius, which is included without any extra charge for existing DAZN customers.
Fans can sign up to DAZN for £9.99 per month at DAZN.com or via the DAZN app. The entire event can be live-streamed on the broadcasters app and website on all good internet-connected devices including smart TVs, mobile phones and laptops.
Full card
Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius
Filip Hrgovic vs Demsey McKean
Derek Chisora vs Gerald Washington
Johnny Fisher vs Harry Armstrong
Campbell Hatton vs Tom Ansell
Maisey Rose Courtney vs Gemma Ruegg
George Liddard vs Bas Oosterweghel
Brandon Scott vs Louis Norman
Quotes
Joshua: “I didn’t want to let anyone down. Late replacements aren’t ideal, but a long career will present these kinds of obstacles. This is just another rock in my shoe on the way to the top of the mountain.
“The objective remains the same, victory by any means. There’s no overtime in boxing, so I’ve got to be on my A-game and inflict pain. It’d be silly to underestimate Helenius or anyone. Credit to him: He’s come to roll the dice, to win.”
Helenius: “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. This fight offer came to me after my fight at the weekend. I was going on vacation with my family but not anymore, here we are.
“We had a good camp behind us, and we feel ready. I am ready to fight, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. I respect him, he’s a good fighter. It’s going to be glorious. I’ve been chasing the World Title for 15 years and when you get this big of an opportunity you can’t let it slip and I will give everything to win this fight.”