Anthony Joshua tipped the scales at 250lbs head of Saturday’s bout against Robert Helenius, making him 5.4lbs lighter than his previous fight against Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua weighed in at a career heaviest of 255.4lbs for his bout against Franklin and secured his first win since beating Kubrat Pulev in December 2020.
However, fans were hoping the additional weight would help him secure a knockout against the American. Instead, he beat the 24-year-old via unanimous decision.
Nevertheless, AJ will be looking to build on his last performance – having entered camp earlier and spent more time with his trainer Derek James this time around.
Although, AJ won’t be oblivious to the fact his fans are looking for him register his first knockout since his ninth round stoppage against Pulev.
Anthony Joshua looks in formidable shape as he looks to make an impression once again
Eddie Hearn (middle) needs AJ to hit form ahead of a showdown with Deontay Wilder
Joshua’s clash against Helenius will give boxing fans an indication of how AJ compares to his rival Deontay Wilder ahead of their planned heavyweight bout.
Wilder knocked the Finish boxer out inside two minutes of their bout. While Gerald Washington – who is fighting Derek Chisora on the Saturday – knocked Helenius out after the 8th round of their clash.
Therefore, AJ will be looking to stop the 39-year-old early on given the fact his bout with the Bronze Bomber is yet to be confirmed.
Eddie Hearn told Mail Sport that Saudi Arabia reps will be ringside for AJ’s bout with Helenius.
He said that they will be watching the British boxer in action with a view of signing the Wilder fight afterwards.
However, it won’t be plain sailing for AJ on Saturday night. He was originally meant to face Dillian Whyte in a rematch.
But, he was forced to change opponent after Whyte returned ‘adverse analytical findings’ in a pre-fight drugs test carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
Joshua and Helenius started trash-talking on the stage following the weigh-in
This is not the first time AJ has been forced to find a last-minute replacement. The same happened in 2019 with Jarrell Miller.
The American heavyweight tested positive for banned substances, putting an end to their scheduled bout.
As a result, Andy Ruiz Jr stepped in and caused an upset with a seventh-round TKO.
However, Joshua did say he had a health issue leading up to the 2019 fight – which saw him lose his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO titles.
Joshua went on to reclaim his titles six months later – beating Ruiz in their rematch after the Mexican admitted to under-preparing for their fight.
Nevertheless, AJ cruised to a 118-110, 118-110, 119-109 points victory against Ruiz – who weighed in at 283lb, 15lb heavier than their first fight.
AJ will be hoping to skip the heartbreak this time around and beat Helenius at his first time of asking.