Anthony Joshua, the former heavyweight champion from Britain, knocked out his opponent Robert Helenius on Saturday night in a dramatic comeback victory. Fighting at the O2 Arena in London, Joshua landed a thunderous right hand in the seventh round that sent the Finnish boxer crumbling to the canvas.
It was Joshua's first knockout since 2020, snapping a three-year drought. He had replaced original opponent Dillian Whyte just one week before the fight, but Helenius still posed a stiff test. After weathering some early attacks, Joshua found his power punch in the seventh round, flooring Helenius and prompting the referee to stop the bout.
"I knew this would happen, everyone's talking about the new AJ and the old AJ," said Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn after the scintillating finish. "He finds the measure of his right hand and delivers one of the knockouts of the year."
The emphatic victory marks back-to-back wins for Joshua after his decision over Jermaine Franklin in April. Joshua lost his heavyweight belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failed to regain them in a rematch last August. But this knockout triumph puts him back on track for a likely showdown with Deontay Wilder in early 2024.
With his 26th career win, 23 by knockout, Joshua showed his vaunted power remains. The question now is whether he can channel that explosiveness against the division's best when he returns to championship contention.
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