Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked out Robert Helenius with a single right hand in Round 7 of a scheduled 12-round bout.
Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) controlled the fight with his jab as he tried for six-plus rounds to set up a punch that would hurt the competitive Helenius (32-5, 21 KOs).
It came midway through the seventh round, when a straight right hand caught Helenius on the chin and he slumped to the canvas, apparently unconscious.
Referee Victor Loughlin didn’t bother to count as it was clear that the Finn couldn’t continue.
The official time of the stoppage was 1:27 of Round 7.
Joshua has now won consecutive fights since he lost back-to-back bouts to Oleksandr Usyk, which cost him his titles and damaged his reputation. He outpointed Jermaine Franklin in April.
Joshua reportedly is in talks to face fellow former titleholder Deontay Wilder late this year or early next year.
Helenius took the fight on less than a week’s notice after Dillian Whyte, who failed a drug test, was pulled from the card.
You can read a full report here.
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Round 7
Fight over! Huge right hand midway through the round puts Helenius down and out instantaneously. He turned a so-so performance into a spectacular one with a single punch.
Round 6
More of the same. Joshua is winning rounds with his jabbing and occasional power shots. He’s just not making a significant statement at all. Waiting doesn’t win fans; punching does. And credit to Helenius: He’s competitive.
Round 5
Better round for Helenius, who landed some eye-catching shots in the first half of the round. However, Joshua took those punches and had a strong second half, landing some power shots of his own. Closer round.
Round 4
Joshua is in control in his way. He continues to jab well and is throwing enough power shots to win rounds, although only a few are landing. AJ is hesitant, though. He doesn’t want to take chances. That’s understandable given Helenius’ power but he’s going to have to let it loose at some point.
Round 3
Boos from an impatient crowd. The pace picked up just a bit. Joshua jabbed well; that’s the best punch of the fight so far. He also landed a good right with about 45 seconds left in the round. That seemed to wake up Helenius to some degree.
Round 2
The fight still hasn’t begun in earnest. Both men are still fighting carefully, jabbing, measuring, waiting for opportunities. Joshua unloaded a big right about a minute in but he missed. Maybe there will be more that coming up.
Round 1
Mostly a feel out round. Both men did a lot of jabbing, with some landing. Both men landed one or two noticeable power shots.
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Longtime heavyweight contender Derek Chisora survived an early cut above his right eye to defeat Gerald Washington by a unanimous decision in a 10-round bout. The official scores were 98-93, 97-94 and 96-94.
Chisora (34-13, 23 KOs) took the fight to Washington (20-6-1, 13 KOs) from the opening bell and outworked him overall, which impressed the judges.
Chisora, 39, was coming off a 10th-round knockout loss to titleholder Tyson Fury this past December, which was his fourth setback in his previous five fights.
The victory over Washington prolongs his career as a relevant fighter in spite of his recent struggles.
Washington, 41, has now lost three in a row and six of his last eight.
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Heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic stopped Demsey McKean in the final round of a 12-round bout.
Hrgovic (16-0, 12 KOs) seemed to be on his way to a decision victory when he hurt McKean (22-1, 13 KOs) with a right hook and followed with a barrage of shots that prompted referee Marcus McDonnell to stop the fight. The official time of the stoppage was 1:01 of the 12th.
The victor remains the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyks IBF title.
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Anthony Joshua of the U.K. is scheduled to face fellow heavyweight contender Robert Helenius of Finland on Saturday at O2 Arena in London (DAZN).
Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) will be fighting for the second time since back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Helenius (32-4, 21 KOs) took the fight on short notice after Dillian Whyte, who failed a drug test, was pulled from the card.
Also, in two other heavyweight matchups, Filip Hrgovic (15-0, 12 KOs) of Croatia will fight Demsey McKean (22-0, 13 KOs) and Derek Chisora (33-13, 23 KOs) of the U.K. will take on Gerald Washington (20-5-1, 13 KOs) of the U.S.
The featured bouts on the card begin at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. The main event will take place later in the show.
Boxing Junkie will post round-by-round updates on the main event and the results of the other featured bouts immediately after they end. Simply return to this post and refresh when the time comes.
Full coverage – a fight story, photo gallery and analysis – will follow on separate posts the night of the fight and the following day.
Enjoy the fights!
