Helenius On Joshua: ‘I Think I Would Beat Him’
Boxing’s heavyweight division has ben full of surprises the past few months. We have seen Andy Ruiz Jr. beat Anthony Joshua only for Joshua to come back the next fight the better man. We also saw Tyson Fury take down Deontay Wilder with ease in their rematch, and Robert Helenius beat Brooklyn’s favorite son Adam Kownacki.
All of these heavyweight fights have led to great moments. For “The Nordic Nightmare”, he is looking to make a few more in his long, successful career. Beating Kownacki in a WBA Heavyweight Title eliminator bout, Helenius is excited for the road ahead. As of now, “The Nordic Nightmare” is expected to face Joshua sometime in the next year+.
“I think it would be a very interesting fight [against Joshua],” Helenius stated to Sky Sports, “I would like that very much. It would be fireworks and tactics, of course, but I think it would be a very, very interesting fight for me.”
During his fight with Kownacki, Helenius started tagging Kownacki in the third, and in the fourth round he knocked Kownacki to the floor. A barrage of punches later and the referee called the fight off. Many considered it an upset, like the Ruiz fight. Speaking with FIGHT SPORTS, Helenius had a whole plan and executed it to perfection. He believes there would be a similar outcome if he faces Joshua.
“Ruiz and me are very different fighters. We are the same height, Anthony and me,” Helenius went on to say. “I’ve been there in a sparring camp with him. I have nothing personal against him, he’s a very good guy. I think very highly of him and I like him a lot, but I think I would beat him.”
A European Heavyweight Champion, Helenius (30-3) has been fighting professionally since 2008. He faced off against Dereck Chisora and Dillian Whyte, going 1-1 against them. Helenius was on a three-fight win streak before losing to Gerald Washington in July. Following a mistake, Helenius lost by KO, and Washington ended up fighting in an IBF eliminator bout. He then won a fight against Mateus Roberto Osorio via TKO before beating Kownacki.
In preparation for big bouts, Helenius has sparred with new WBC Heavyweight Champion and lineal champion Tyson Fury. When it coms to deciding who is boxing’s elite, Helenius sees his experience and how he trains with Fury as advantage over everything else.
“It’s difficult to rank them. I rank myself as No 1, so they can fight as No 2,” Helenius stated. “I’ve been also at Tyson Fury camps, sparring with him. It’s a whole different fight and I would not reveal his secrets, how I would go about the fight. It’s also a very interesting fight.”
Due to Joshua’s busy schedule (Pulev, Fury, Martin), it may be difficult for Helenius to get an automatic title shot. Dealing with injuries for many years, Helenius is fine waiting for his opportunity. He will be focusing on getting better in the ring, being with family and making the Nordic region proud.