Taking the place of Dillian Whyte, Anthony Joshua is set to face Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena this Saturday.
Joshua’s scheduled heavyweight rematch with Whyte was called off over the weekend due to Whyte’s failed voluntary drug test.
As a replacement on short notice, Finland’s Robert Helenius, boasting a record of 32 wins and four losses, will step into the ring.
“This wasn’t in the script,” Joshua said of his new opponent, adding that, “I am laser-focused on the win.”
Helenius’ last big fight was a first-round knockout defeat by Deontay Wilder in October.
“I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice,” the 39-year-old said.
“This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it,” he added.
Helenius, a fighter who has never faced a challenge for a world title, recently competed on Saturday and secured a third-round TKO victory against Mika Mielonen in Finland.
In addition to his match against Wilder, the 6ft 6in Helenius has suffered losses to Gerald Washington, Whyte, and Johann Duhaupas.
A victory for Joshua would position him for his highly anticipated bout with former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, which is potentially scheduled for early next year.
Joshua has maintained an undefeated record at the O2 Arena in London, achieving a victory in April when he outpointed Jermaine Franklin.
At 33 years old, Joshua engaged in discussions with various heavyweights on his undercard, including American heavyweight Washington, as a replacement for Whyte. However, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that many potential opponents priced themselves out of the opportunity.
Eddie Hearn noted that Joshua remained composed upon learning about the cancellation of the fight following notification from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) to Matchroom promoters and boxing authorities regarding Whyte’s test results.
“With a week to go before one of the biggest fights of the year, I was shocked and dumbfounded. AJ sent me a message which was unbelievably calm,” said Hearn.
“AJ is desperate to fight. He has looked unbelievable in camp. I have never seen him in such good shape.”
The fight between Joshua and Whyte, a rematch of their 2015 bout, was announced in July.
Joshua knocked out Whyte in the seventh round of their heated British title fight eight years ago, which also took place at the O2, as he avenged a loss to his rival on the amateur circuit.
