Anthony Joshua is set for his second fight of 2023 when he takes on Robert Helenius on Saturday night, live on DAZN.
Joshua was originally preparing for a rematch with Dillian Whyte, but Whyte was forced to pull out of the fight due to adverse findings in a VADA test.
Now he will face "The Nordic Nightmare," and while facing a last minute replacement opponent is not the ideal scenario for Joshua, the former world heavyweight champion will be looking to make a statement ahead of a potential meeting with Deontay Wilder.
As ever with big fights such as this, there are plenty of bets to be made and DAZN takes a look at some of those below:
Joshua vs. Helenius odds
- Anthony Joshua: 1/16
- Robert Helenius: 8/1
(All odds via William Hill as of Friday, August 11. These odds can change between now and fight night.)
Joshua vs. Helenius prediction
As previously mentioned, Anthony Joshua needs to make a statement regardless of who is in the opposite corner.
Many fans were underwhelmed by Joshua's points win over Jermaine Franklin in April, but for the British fighter, it was imperative that he returned to winning ways following two back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
Now after a second training camp under the guidance of Derrick James, those same fans will be eager to see a trademark Joshua knockout, especially against an opponent who was knocked out by Deontay Wilder in the first round of their clash last year.
Robert Helenius will come out to fight as he looks to score the biggest win of his career, but as shown in his meeting with Wilder, this can leave openings for a knockout blow.
I personally do not see this fight going the distance. A last minute change of opponent may create difficulties when working out a strategy on short notice, but Joshua is capable of still being a dominant force and while he is likely to spend the first one or two rounds working out Helenius, I expect the former Olympian to get to work and land a number of hard-hitting shots.
This will eventually wear Helenius down who is a slow operator inside the ring and don't be surprised if Joshua is able to land a knockout punch in the middle rounds.
- Astbury's pick: Anthony Joshua to win in round five
- Odds: 8/1
(All odds via William Hill as of Friday, August 11. These odds can change between now and fight night.)
More Joshua vs. Helenius odds
Method of victory
- Anthony Joshua by Decision or Technical Decision: 9/2
- Anthony Joshua by KO, TKO or DQ: 1/5
- Robert Helenius by Decision or Technical Decision: 25/1
- Robert Helenius by KO, TKO or DQ: 12/1
- Draw: 20/1
(All odds via William Hill as of Friday, August 11. These odds can change between now and fight night.)