Anthony Joshua Vs Robert Helenius
Anthony Joshua takes on Robert Helenius in London on Saturday night in a late change to the main event at the O2 Arena.
Joshua was due to fight fellow British heavyweight Dillian Whyte but that fight was cancelled last weekend after Whyte failed a voluntary drug test.
Helenius has therefore stepped in to take Whyte's place at short notice, and it will be the Finn's second fight in the space of a week after he stopped Mika Mielonen last Saturday.
Tip 1 - Over 5.5 rounds @ 3/4
Helenius should represent an easier task for Joshua than the one he would likely have faced against Whyte - but that doesn’t mean it will be an entirely comfortable evening for AJ.
Quotes of 1/25 about an AJ victory tell you all you need to know about how boxing observers expect the bout to play out, but it has been a long time since we saw Joshua at his once destructive and aggressive best.
The 33-year-old hasn’t been the same fighter since he was stunned by Andy Ruiz in 2019 and that could be for a number of reasons.
It’s possible that AJ just isn't as good as the hype suggested and he has certainly struggled to replicate the devastating victories which were a feature of his early professional career as he has stepped up in class.
Joshua has moved from being an aggressive combination puncher to a fighter who uses his jab at range, and there was a bizarre technical approach in the first of his two defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk.
AJ appears to have suffered from a crisis of identity and has now adopted a risk-averse approach.
The Watford man wasn't impressive when outpointing Jermaine Franklin last time out despite being long odds-on to triumph. And prior to that unconvincing success AJ was twice beaten by Usyk, shocked by Ruiz in New York.
Indeed, you have to go back to his 2018 win over Alexander Povetkin to find the last time Joshua looked like a real top-class boxer.
Helenius is an exposed 39-year-old fighter but the Finn should at least be in decent condition after his success over Mielonen last weekend.
The Nordic Nightmare has twice defeated Adam Kownacki, has beaten Derek Chisora and gone the distance with Whyte which suggests that he could hold out for at least six rounds at the O2.
Tip 2 - Joshua to win by decision @ 4/1
At 4/1 it could also pay to back Joshua to win by decision.
AJ still possesses plenty of power and it’s possible that he will catch Helenius with a big shot at some stage, but that eventuality appears to have been hugely overstated by the odds.
Helenius is likely to use his height and stature to lean, spoil and slow down Joshua, and there is a distinct possibility that the bout could go the full 12 rounds of action on Saturday night.