Sacked Joshua weighs in against Helenius – BBC Sport

Hot-headed Anthony Joshua exchanged words with opponent Robert Helenius during a long, intense gaze as the heavyweights weighed in Saturday’s match at O2. Arena in London

Joshua, a 33-year-old Englishman, weighs 17 12 pounds, one pound heavier than Helenius.

Finn, 39, fought last week after Dillian Whyte voluntarily failed a drug test.

“Do you have a problem with me?” Joshua asked Helenius.

in a quick counterattack Helenius told Joshua, “I don’t have a problem with you.”

After weighing in at the Westfield London shopping center on Friday, Joshua told his opponent: “We’ll fight now or we’ll fight tomorrow. Either way, we will fight.”

He ordered Helenius to “stop acting” and added, “Calm down.”

The exchange was in stark contrast to Wednesday’s respectful press conference. In which the two expressed their joy and shook hands.

Promoter Eddie Hearn described weighing as a “spicy” appetizer, seeing Joshua pose in an unprecedented confrontation.

Fans line the balcony guarding the atrium of a White City shopping center. Eager to see two-time world champion Joshua

Once the undercard has been weighed, A relaxed Joshua took the time to come on stage. London 2012 gold medalists hand out hats and take pictures with fans. while Helenius had to wait

As the two men face off, Joshua, who has won 25 fights and lost three times since turning pro. Make eye contact with your opponent and never look away.

Joshua said that changing opponents “Not a problem at all,” he added: “My small day-to-day changes didn’t change the way I went to training camp.

“Concentrate, I’m happy that I still have a fight day tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. This is my job. This is what I like to do.”

Joshua weighed in at a career-high 18 pounds (115.7 kg) for his points win over Jermaine Franklin in April. With many expecting the Londoner to score his first knockout win since stopping Kubrat Pulev in the seventh round in 2020.

But in the making he refuses to predict the knockout and talks more about “process”. After losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk, it’s a win-win mentality.

Now, in his second bout under trainer Derrick James, Joshua is preparing to win in style.

“I had to get back on that gravy train,” he says. “Put someone down and learn how to get them.

“[I want] My hands hit someone so hard that my jawbone shook my arms, biceps, and shoulders.”

Joshua was suggested by most fans to stop Helenius at some distance, but ‘The Nordic Nightmare’ – in which Deontay Wilder was knocked out in the first round in October – disagreed and insisted he wasn’t in London to calculate the numbers.

“I don’t listen to them. They are not professional boxers,” said Helenius. “Boxing is a great sport. And just like my last big bout with Wilder, It can be finished in one shot.

“I think I’m as tall as him. [Joshua]. We have similar speed and power. I think I have better footwork than him. and have more experience That will lead me through to victory.”

Joshua is pumping He is ready for battle and wants to vent his frustrations over the past week against Helenius.

The Englishman knows he has to put on a spectacular performance tomorrow night. But it’s been a long time since that happened.

Since his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019, he has rather focused on his out-of-box opponents than pressure to stop.

It worked in the match against Ruiz Jr as Joshua reclaimed his world title, but was not defeated by the masterful technician Usyk – Joshua was guided both times.

Critics say ‘AJ’ has lost that vengeance, that venom, and that he is ‘shy’. An unstoppable finisher and clinical finisher

The boxer who went to war with Vladimir Klitschko was not the man who boxed to beat Franklin by points.

Fans want entertainment They want to know Joshua ‘still understands’.