While the Anthony Joshua-Dillian Whyte rematch hardly fell into the category of superfight, it was still an all-British heavyweight collision and a potentially entertaining slugfest. Now, thanks to a failed VADA test submitted by Whyte, the bout is confined to the fantasy section -- probably for all time.
Whyte is out and Finnish veteran Robert Helenius is the replacement for August 12 at the O2 Arena in London. The 12-round bout, plus undercard action, will be broadcast exclusively by DAZN in the U.S. and the U.K.
WATCH: Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius, live on DAZN
While Joshua was heavily favoured to beat Whyte, he is an even bigger favourite to punch holes through late replacement Helenius. Should he succeed, then the former two-time heavyweight champ has bigger fish to fry.
"In December, potentially, there is a big fight that should be cracking with me and [Deontay] Wilder," Joshua told BoxingScene via Men’s Health. "It has been a long time coming. There are a lot of moving shapes at the minute, a lot of things happening, so one step at a time."
Hyperbole to one side, if Helenius were to upset the apple cart on Saturday, then it would be one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history. Joshua is already a statistic in that category, thanks to his shocking seventh-round defeat to Andy Ruiz in 2019, and he will have no desire to go there again with Helenius.
The Sporting News now looks into betting for this unlikeliest of glamour division matchups.
Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius betting odds
Per BetMGM, Joshua is the -1600 (1/20) favorite, while Helenius is the +800 (10/1) underdog.
Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius betting trends
The following odds are available at BetMGM and SkyBet:
- Joshua via KO/TKO: -500 / 1/5
- Joshua via decision: +400 / 4/1
- Helenius via KO/TKO: +1200 / 12/1
- Helenius via decision: +2500 / 25/1
- Draw: +2500
MORE: How to bet on combat sports
Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius prediction, best bets
Providing all is well with the world, this fight is over before it even begins. Joshua is younger, fresher, quicker, stronger, and he's a far better fighter.
Helenius has a respectable record of 32-4 (21 KOs), but each time he's stepped up in class, he's been found wanting, and three of his four losses were by knockout. Johann Duhaupas stopped him in six, Erkan Teper took him out in eight, and Deontay Wilder popped his balloon in one.
It's not a case of if Joshua wins, but when.
As a barometer for how AJ may get the job done here, it's probably best to look at the Wilder fight. While Joshua doesn't punch as hard as "The Bronze Bomber", he still has 22 knockouts in 25 wins and can crack with both hands.
Helenius had a full training camp for Wilder, whereas the 39-year-old only has days to prepare for this one. Joshua has been cautious of late, but he'll be looking to get things over quickly and put this whole debacle behind him.
Expect AJ to let go with some big bombs and test the late replacement's chin and ambition very early. A fun bet would be a second-round finish, which is good value right now.
Sporting News prediction: Joshua (T/KO 2) +800 with BetMGM
