“Helenius is a big guy and can hit hard. He will be a good replacement,” says Eddie Hearn, promoter Anthony Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) and organizer of the Saturday night of boxing in London.
After Dillian Whyte's doping failure seven days before the event, the head of Matchroom was left without a main course. However, he quickly managed to reach an agreement with Robert Helenius (32-4, 21 KOs).
“I am a true Viking who is ready to take on any challenge, at any time. I couldn't miss this opportunity. I'm going to use it," Helenius said.
“That was not in the script. Respect to Helenius for accepting the challenge. There are big things ahead of me, but this fight is a checkpoint on my map, so I'm focused on winning on Saturday, ”said Joshua, who could face Deontay Wilder (43-2-1, 42 KOs) in his next fight.
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“The news of White’s departure was a real disappointment not only for me, but, and perhaps most importantly, for Joshua. Fortunately, we managed to save this tournament. This is a good replacement and a good fight. Yes, Helenius recently lost to Wilder, but that blow would have knocked the horse down. There will always be those who will criticize everything, but I really think that this is a difficult and dangerous fight for AJ, ”added Hearn.