Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius summary, round by round, stats and updates

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Conor McGregor steps into the ring and calls out KSI, offering to give him a bare knuckle bout right now.

Hearn says that the January date in Saudi Arabia is ready to go, and that he expects Joshua to meet Wilder there with contracts ready to be signed all the way around.

Anthony Joshua thanks Robert Helenius for taking the fight on short notice, saying that he wants to fight twice more this year noting his desire to stay busy, getting back to the top of the heavyweight division.

Eddie Hearn says that AJ is dedicated to closing the deal on a fight with Deontay Wilder and then Tyson Fury. "We want to get that sorted in the next few days."

Anthony Joshua wins by HUGE knockout

The seventh round starts with the fighters trading jabs, neither looking to have found the key to the other, when at the minute forty mark, a thunderous right hand lands clean on the chin of Robert Helenius and he is immediately out. The referee doesn't bother to count, immediately waving the fight off. The doctors rush in to attend to Helenius and make sure that he is ok.

At the start of six, AJ is having the look of having found his range, he is going in and landing hurtful shots and getting back out. Helenius is coming forward but his shots are finding the gloves of AJ rather than landing flush.

As the round winds down, Joshua lands a big right hand that forces Helenius to hold on and wait for the bell.

Although the crowd may not believe it, this is actually a physically brutal combat. Anthony Joshua is showing swelling on that right eye while Helenius has blood flowing from his nose. The fifth round starts with stiff jabs from both men, AJ's landing more flush on Helenius' face, starting that flow of blood again.

The Finn lands a sharp jab that snaps AJ's head back before being introduced to that left hook which has his hurtling backward. As the round ends, both men are showing signs of being in a war.

Anthony Joshua comes in a little more aggressive in round four and catches a counter right for his trouble. He immediately covers and returns to his defensive game plan. Throwing probing shots as the round progresses, he manages to catch Helenius with a nice right hand with a minute to go.

The third round sees both fighters maintaining their defensive stance, and the crowd begins to turn on them, demanding more action in the ring. Whistles of derision go up and the arena and AJ seems to step on the gas a little. A few more probing shots go in, but both fighters are wary of the counter punching ability of their opponent.

The second round is incredibly even, with perhaps the biggest moment when Anthony Joshua managed to land that overhand right with a minute left in the round. Helenius was not hurt, but it showed that the former champion could get through to him when he needs to.

Round one gets underway and Helenius goes straight on the offense. Joshua comes back with a straight right and tests the Finn's reflexes.

Both men spend the round judging each others' distance, checking their defense, and gathering range information.

Robert Helenius has virtually no support in the O2 Arena, which is perhaps not surprising since he not only is fighting in Anthony Joshua's back yard, but is a last minute replacement, leaving no time for any of his own supporters to build anticipation or buy tickets to the event.

Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius

Now the time for the main event is here. Anthony Joshua decides to ringwalk to a beautiful violin solo. Such a change from the normal high-octane boxing entry. In the end, the violin gives way to Sash! Encore une fois and the former champion makes his way to the ring.

Chisora wins by unanimous decision

The judges saw this fight:

98-93

97-94

96-94

all in favor of Chisora. It was a little wider than I thought that it might be.

The tenth and final round sees these two fighters almost neck and neck. Where it looked as if Chisora had the fight in the bag early on, Washington has certainly won a few rounds, and perhaps even close to half. Chisora leans on his man, trying to get him out, not wanting to leave it in the hands of the judges, but with so little time left, it looks like the cleaner work is being done by Washington. As the fight ends, it is a close run thing.

The ninth round is all about Washington's second wind. Chisora is going in hard and heavy, but is noticably slower than in the opening rounds. Washington is getting fresher by the minute and making Derek pay for his aggressioin.

The eighth round sees Chisora try to pressure Washington again, but this time, the American comes back with his own jabs. The wobble that he had just two rounds ago, now completely behind him. Washington gets himself back into the fight with some masterful counter punching work.

The seventh round gets underway with a heavy right hand from Del Boy. Washington wears it well and manages to get out of trouble again with his feet. Chisora is leaning hard on Washington, but there is a feeling of rope-a-dope about this. Washington is absorbing each shot with his backward movement and getting his own shots in.

Washington comes out in the sixth and is trying to let his legs get him out of trouble, moving, staying mobile, but Chisora cuts him off and puts him on the ropes. The American slips out of the clench and the stalk continues. Chisora throwing big shots, missing some, landing others, but through it all, Washington backpedalling his way out of problems.

Both men are at the edge of exhaustion, leaning heavily on each other in between the moments of chase.

Chisora lands one of those hammering right hands in the fifth and Washington so nearly folds. The two men collapse into a clench and the fact of the matter is that Chisora is so worn out from chasing him around the ring, that he can't properly follow it up. Washinton starts to recover, but Chisora manages to lay those heavy hands on him time and again, keeping the pressure on him. Washington looks ready to fall as the round ends.

The fourth starts as the third left off, with Chisora in the center of the ring and Washington drawing him forward. There is little damage being done by either man, but the one coming off worse for the wear is likely Chisora. This is a tactic that will wear him out quickly. He is betting everything on being able to land that one big blow that will end the fight - and let's be clear, if he lands it, the fight will end. But Washington will be increasingly in better shape as the fight wears on.

Round three sees Derek slow to come out of the corner and Washington is looking like the more fresh of the two. Chisora takes the center of the ring and is stalking his man, but he needs to watch out lest he walk onto a right hand.

Much of the round is made up of Washington back pedalling and Chisora trying to walk him down.

The second round sees Chisora come out banging and trying to pressure Washington, hoping that the relative inactivity of the American will see him wither under the force of those hammer blows. A head clash opens a cut on Chisora's right eye and Washington comes to life, attacking the face with a series of one-two shots.

Chisora visibly slows, perhaps trying to protect that eye. He looks as if he can't see properly with the blood in his eye. He goes in hard and winds up on his back as the bell sounds. The referee rules it a slip and lets the men retire to their corners.

Round one gets going and the crowd is clearly backing Chisora, who is immensely popular with the British public.

Chisora tries to oblige them by bringing the fight to Washington, but both of these fighters are now at the top end of their fighting life. Chisora is 39 years old while Washington is 41.

Derek Chisora vs Gerald Washington

The principal support now features one of the mainstays of British boxing in Del Boy, Derek Chisora as he takes on California's veteran fighter Gerald Washington in a ten-round heavyweight clash.

That was a get out of jail free card for Filip Hrgovic, because I am not at all sure that he could have won that if it had gone to the judges. It was a close-run thing.

Hrgovic wins by TKO

In the opening of the twelfth round, Hrgovic lands a shot, another big right hand that wobbles McKean. Follow up shots to the back of the head see the Aussie stumble onto the ropes. Although he doesn't go to the mat, the ref gives him a count and gets to four before waving the fight off. He didn't like the way the McKean was stumbling to the neutral corner.

Immediately, the Aussie starts to complain about the wave off, saying, "But I'm fine!"

No matter. Hrgovic wins this IBF challenger eliminator by TKO.

In the opening seconds of the eleventh, Hrgovic lands a huge right hand flush on McKean's nose. The Aussie didn't slow down, and it did no lasting damage, but it just goes to show that the Croat is still in the fight. That shot would have rocked most men, and it is a credit to McKean that he took it.

As this fight moves to the championship rounds, it is becoming less clear cut. Hrgovic was so emphatically in control through the opening rounds and then the last few have seen McKean grow into the fight in a way that is somewhat shocking. Hrgovic is looking the more tired of the two and the ninth and tenth rounds seem to find McKean finding a second wind.

The seventh and eighth were much the same: McKean growing into the fight. Hrgovic is waning somewhat and the Aussie is finding openings. A lovely combination at the end of the eighth marks the first time that Hrgovic has been rocked onto his heels.

This is becoming a war of attrition. Both of these men are giants and they are both visibly tiring now. Lots of holding on and holding each other up in the sixth.

In round five, McKean is finally finding his range, landing that left hand with regularity now. Hrgovic was able to get in and out in the early going, but he is being made to pay for his forays now.

The fourth sees the two heavyweights stand toe to toe and trade blows. Hrgovic has now been cut as well, so while McKean is not having the eye-catching success of his opponent, his blows are doing damage.

Hrgovic has a beautiful right hand, and he lands it with precision and power. The third round sees him start to stamp his authority on this fight, landing great counter punches. He has McKean's timing down now and counters every punch thrown. A cut opens up on the bridge of McKean's nose.

The second round sees Hrgovic start to find holes in McKean's defense. While the Aussie moves in low, trying to work the body, Hrgovic has timed him well and lands a lovely 1-2 to his head. McKean eats it up, but he certainly felt it.

Round one sees both men pawing at each other, maintaining distance and checking out the oppositioin. McKean is a southpaw and therefore awkward, so Hrgovic is right to be wary. On the flip side, Hrgovic is an extremely dangerous fighter so McKean can't simply go charging in.

Filip Hrgovic vs Demsey McKean

We move onto another heavyweight bout now as IBF Mandatory World Title challenger Filip Hrgovic clashes with Australia's undefeated contender Demsey McKean.

Both of these men bring impressive records to the ring, with Hrgovic  at 15-0 with 12 KOs and McKean at 22-0 and 14 KO.

Originally from Queensland, Australia, McKean now trains with Tony Sims in London.

Fisher wins by TKO

In the seventh round, Armstrong was noticably slower, fatigued from the pace that he had been trying to set. Fisher set up his traps and Armstrong walked onto three counter right hands in a row before a massive right drops Armstrong to one knee. He immediately pops up, but that blow opened a huge gash above his eye. After the standing eight count, Armstrong's corner throws in the towel.

That was the right move and a doctor comes out to have a look at the cut.

Johnny Fisher is still undefeated and the new Southern Area heavyweight champion.

The sixth round is much like the fifth, with both fighters having their own successes. The biggest moment was when Fisher bull rushed Armstrong and rugby tackled him to the canvas. Rightly ruled no knockdown, the two fighters are now looking tired.

Round five sees a fairly even contest. Fisher regains his composure and levels things in this round, slowing Armstrong down a little.

The fourth round sees Armstrong controlling the pace. Fisher is staying compact and looking for combinations, but Armstrong has made the fight into something more scrappy, clutching, holding, grappling, and doing damage while he is in there. The ref breaks the two fighters and warns them both for swearing, which is a first for me, and in the final ten seconds, Fisher puts together a great combo that rocks Armstrong, nearly knocking him down.

Round three sees some of Armstrong's work come to fruition. Fisher is starting to look a little winded, a little flummoxed by Armstrong's feints, and that is allowing some shots to make their way through. Nothing is hurtful, as yet, but groundwork is being laid, and at this level it only takes one punch...

Round two sees Armstrong come out swinging, but he still looks unsteady on his feet. He is fast and trying to shake the cobwebs off with his feints, but Fisher is controlled and compact, landing the more spiteful shots. Armstrong is slowly working his way into the fight, but Fisher is the more clinical of the two.

Round one comes out like a hurricane, with Johnny Fisher landing a flurry and putting Armstrong down in the first 15 seconds!

Armstrong beats the count and slowly recovers as the round wears on, but he is behind the curve quickly.

A surprising development as Johnny Fisher choses to ringwalk to John Denver's Country Roads and the entire O2 Arena breaks out into the chorus. Who knew that the Brits loved John Denver?

Johnny Fisher vs Harry Armstrong

Now a heayweight bout between Johnny Fisher and Harry Armstrong for the Southern Area Belt, an entry-level British belt, the first step toward a national, commonwealth or European title.

Campbell Hatton wins

The lone ringside judge saw the fight 78-74 to Campbell Hatton. It was perhaps closer than some would have scored it, but a fair representation of the scrap that Ansell put him through.

The eighth and final round of this contest turns into a bit of a war, with Ansell backing Hatton onto the ropes and the two men trading punches. The fight ends with both men clenched in an inside scrap. Hatton managed to look competent, if not brilliant in that fight, but he was made to pay heavily by Ansell.

The seventh sees Hatton step it up a gear and he turns Ansell's aggression against him. Counter punches are landing flush and the gap in levels is widening.

The sixth round sees Hatton have to work a little more for his bread. Don't get me wrong, he certainly is in control, but Ansell is leaving it all in the ring right now. Hatton's speed and power are impressive and he is not in trouble at any point.

Ansell comes out in the fifth and is very game, charging in and taking the fight to Campbell. It is an impressive effort, especially considering how marked up Ansell is. He makes good ground up here, even when Hatton looks to be the more controlled of the two.

Round four sees Hatton in control of the bout. I know that it is tiring to always compare him to his dad, but it is noteworthy that his movement is in and out, with very little of the lateral wizardry that saw Ricky make it to the top of the game. Every now and again there is a flash of it, and you have to feel that if he adds that to his arsenal, he could become a very formidable fighter.

The third round sees Ansell's face red and starting to show marks. Hatton is staying outside, happy to work behind the jab and is cruising in this one.

Round two sees Ansell make some gains on Hatton, but Campbell looks to be the quicker of the two. It is close, but it will come down to who will have the best engine.

The first round is a solid one for Hatton, as he works well behind the jab. Unusual to see his style so different from Ricky's, but this is a young man making his own way in the sport.

Campbell Hatton vs Tom Ansell

This is one of the most interesting of the undercard bouts, as Campbell "Hurricane" Hatton takes on Tom Ansell. Hatton is the son of legendary Ricky "Hitman" Hatton and has been making a name for himself under his own steam. Now at 12-0 with 5 knockouts, Hatton is one of the brightest prospects in British boxing.

Tom Ansell has a 10-4 record with 2 knockouts and is a former rugby player turned boxer.

George Liddard wins

The judge saw it much as I did, although he gave Oosterweghel one round. It could only have been the sixth round, and to be fair, I could see how you could see that.

I make that one 60 - 54 in favor of Liddard, but let's see how the ringside judges saw it.

The sixth and final round and unless Oosterweghel gets a suprise knockout, there is no way that he can win this. In response to the urging from his corner, the Dutchman comes out more aggressive, but he is having little success against Liddard. The shots from the Englishman are all finding their mark, while the shots from Oosterweghel are having touble landing.

Oosterweghel bullies Liddard onto the ropes and lands uppercut after uppercut. Finally Liddard is showing that he is tiring somewhat, but it is to late. Had he done that in round one, the Dutch fighter may have had a chance here, but as it stands, Liddard showed himself a cut above, winning all six rounds.

In the fifth, Oosterweghel manages to cut the distance down, but Liddard is straight back onto it. He gets his man on the ropes and you wonder if we are moments from a stoppage. The Dutchman gets out of danger and turns Liddard to stay in the fight. You have to tip your hat to him for that move.

Liddard is back on it and there is a sickening sense that this fight should be stopped. Oosterweghel is not out of it, he is still throwing back, but he has taken so much punishment that you feel as if he needs to be saved from himself.

Every single shot thrown by Liddard is landing as the fourth round gets going. Oosterweghel is still throwing shots back, but with the seeming inability to either block or make his opponent miss, you have to wonder how much of this he can take. 

Or no, let me rephrase that: how much of this the ref and ringside medics will allow him to take. I have no doubt that he has the heart to simply keep coming forward, despite any punishment. But at some point, the ref may have to step in to save him from damage.

He is marching forward, and being made to pay with each step, but Liddard is landing everything.

Round three sees Liddard setting up his shots and landing what he likes. A minute in and Oosterweghel lands a great over/under combo on the Englishman, but it is not enough. He has taken a punishment so far and just doesn't have enough puff to make Liddard pay.

Quickly, Liddard regains his composure and is right back on the front foot. An air of desperation by Oosterweghel as nothing is getting through. Liddard's pressure is relentless and that is another great round for him.

Oosterweghel's corner tells him to get in close and work from inside, perhaps encouraging him to take the punishment that he is being dished out. One thing is certain, however, and that is that he will need to let his hands fly if he wants to slow Liddard down at all.

Generally, if you are working inside, you will work on the body, taking wind and sapping strength from your opponent. Oosterweghel is not doing that at all. He is looking almost exclusively at the head of his opponent, and his style is simply mismatched to the work that he is doing. His left hook is heavy and effective, but Liddard is having a far too easy night of it in this bout.

The second round is much like the first and this is looking to become a washout unless the Dutchman can change his plan.

As round one gets underway, Liddard's jab is sharp and on point. Oosterweghel leads with his chin and is taking a punishment with each step. Both fighter's have heavy hands, but Liddard is lightning quick with the jab. oosterweghel's head is snapping back with each shot, and it looks as if nothing can miss.

The Dutchman is game, but that round was very impressive from Liddard.

George Liddard vs Bas Oosterweghel

Two young prospects meet in the ring as a six-round clash between England's George Liddard and Holland's Bas Oosterweghel will take place at 160lbs.

Liddard is 3-0 and Oosterweghel is 5-1, with neither one of these guys just earning a paycheck tonight.

Scott vs Norman

The undercard action got going straight away with a featherweight bout between Brandon Scott and Louis Norman. A six round contest, Scott entered at 5-0 and looked to get some work in against the more experienced Louis Norman at 14-13.

The six rounds showed the young man from Wales get the unanimous decision and move to 6-0 as his career gets underway.

The Full Card

Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius
Filip Hrgovic vs Demsey McKean
Johnny Fisher vs Harry Armstrong
Derek Chisora vs Gerald Washington
Campbell Hatton vs Tom Ansell
Maisey Rose Courtney vs Gemma Ruegg
George Liddard vs Bas Oosterweghel
Brandon Scott vs Louis Norman

Tale of the tape

Both fighters stand at 6 foot 6 inches tall, with Helenius holding a slight advantage at 6 foot 6 and a half. The advantage goes the other way when it comes to reach however, with Joshua’s 82 inch reach out ranging Helenius’ 79 inches.

Anthony Joshua is 25 and 3 with 22 wins coming by way of knockout. He has been stopped only once, in that first bout against Ruiz.

Robert Helenius is 32 and 4 with 21 knockouts under his belt, but of his four losses, three of them have been by stoppage.

Robert Helenius

His opponent tonight, Robert Helenius is an altogether different beast. Stepping in at the 11th hour to replace Dillian Whyte, Helenius is a stout opponent for Joshua, but one who has not yet tasted the level of success that Joshua has.

The 39-year-old Finn has worked under Kalle Sauerland’s banner in Germany and first grabbed the attention of western audiences when he lost a unanimous decision to Dillian Whyte. A run of six further wins in the US saw him get his shot when he faced Deontay Wilder in October last year. A vicious first-round knockout saw the Finn need to enter a rebuild of his own.

A decisive third round TKO against fellow Finn Mika Mielonen last week came only hours before the withdrawal of Whyte from tonight’s event. Stepping in on the shortest conceivable notice, Helenius will see this as his second bite at the apple. A win over Joshua will set him up for a potential big-money bout, perhaps even positioning him for another shot at a world title further down the line.

Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua is in the midst of a career rebuild. The 33-year-old two-time world heavyweight champion looked to be almost unstoppable at one point, until the wheels first wobbled before falling completely off of his spotless career. After coming through his biggest challenge ever by climbing off the canvas to stop Wladimir Klitschko and unify his heavyweight titles, Joshua looked every inch the heir apparent to the Ukranian legend.

Solid performances against Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin added kudos to his claim on the division, before Joshua got his first taste of defeat when Andy Ruiz Jr stopped him in the seventh. He reclaimed his belts in the rematch, but by this time another Ukranian challenger in the form of Oleksandr Usyk was waiting in the wings.

Two successive losses has seen Joshua shed himself of his trainer and gym, reworking his career in the hands of a succession of trainers including sessions with Robert Garcia, Eddy Reynoso, Ronnie Shields, and Virgil Hunter. Derrick James has had the commission of trying to get the former champion back on track and will be in his corner tonight.

Welcome!

Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the heavyweight fight between two-time world champion Anthony Joshua and two-time European champion Robert Helenius from the O2 Arena in London.