Anthony Joshua makes his return to the ring this weekend, as the former world champions compete at the O2 Arena, London. AJ was originally set to take on Dillian Whyte, but his compatriot was forced to pull out of the fight following an adverse reading to a drugs test.
However, boxing fans will still get action in London this weekend, as Robert Helenius steps up to take on Joshua, just a week after he was previously in action in his homeland of Finland.
Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius Odds
Anthony Joshua is the commanding favourite in the betting to win the fight, as he is priced up at 1/25 in the two-way betting, and 1/16 to land victory in the three-way odds. Robert Helenius is the huge outsider at the prices available at BetXchange, as he is 6/1 in the two-way betting and 7/1 in the three-way prices. The draw is the most lucrative selection available at 25/1.
Joshua Looking To Get Back On Track
The pressure is on Anthony Joshua this weekend in front of home fans, as he bids to put a testing period behind him. AJ already has a fight pencilled in for the end of this year, as he is set to clash with Deontay Wilder. However, he would be ill-advised to look beyond this fight before then, as he previously suffered a shocking loss against a last-minute opponent back in 2019, as he lost the world title with a stunning stoppage defeat against Andy Ruiz.
Joshua reclaimed his titles a few months after that loss, but his form in the ring has stuttered since he was knocked off his perch. AJ lost in back-to-back fights by a comprehensive measure against Oleksandr Usyk, with the latter of those coming in August 2022.
He has since returned to the ring, but he needed all 12 rounds to get the better of Jermaine Franklin in London. Fans will be expecting to see Joshua put on a show this weekend.
Helenius Searching For Massive Shock
As the betting suggests, Helenius is the huge outsider to claim victory this weekend. A factor behind that is down to his struggles against proven competitors in the heavyweight division, which includes a stunning first-round loss against Wilder in October of last year.
He was also beaten by unanimous decision by Whyte in October 2017, and suffered a stoppage loss at the hands of Gerald Washington in July 2019.
However, he will at least come into this fight in peak condition, as the Finn was only in action seven days ago in his homeland. Helenius was excellent on that evening, as he scored a third-round stoppage, but it will be a completely different prospect in front of a packed audience at the O2 Arena this weekend.
Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius Prediction
Helenius deserves huge credit for taking this fight on short notice, but it’s unlikely that he will be able to utilise his punching power against a Joshua that is fight fit. Therefore, we fully expect the Brit to score a stoppage victory and make a statement in the heavyweight division.
