Anthony Joshua will try to ignore speculation and comparisons with Deontay Wilder when he steps into the ring to face Robert Helenius at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday.
Helenius was only drafted in at the 11th hour when original opponent Dillian Whyte failed a drugs test with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), but it has added further intrigue with Wilder’s shadow looming over the Briton.
The talk surrounding Joshua, like for many of his recent fights, is about what’s next and talks between his camp and Wilder’s team continue over a proposed clash at the end of this year or at the start of 2024.
An eagerly-anticipated future bout between two former world heavyweight champions will only happen if Joshua shuts out the noise to do the business against Helenius, who suffered a first-round knock-out to Wilder in October.
“I have to ignore it. It is one step at a time,” Joshua insisted when asked about ex-WBC belt holder Wilder.
“When I fought Jason Gavern, I knocked him out, Wilder took longer. When I fought Eric Molina, I knocked him out in three and Wilder took nine rounds.
“There will always be comparisons. This is my own fight with Helenius, no-one else’s. I can’t fail.”
Joshua repeated the same sentiments before a laboured display on his way to a unanimous points victory against Jermaine Franklin in April, which got the Finchley boxer back on the comeback trail, but his preparation for this 29th contest of his career has been far from ideal.
Last weekend, Joshua trained knowing it could all be for nothing after he discovered on Saturday morning that Whyte had been pulled from the show but Friday’s fiery weigh-in exchange with Helenius showed he is locked in.
Joshua tipped the scales at 17st and 12lbs, while Helenius was a pound lighter, before the duo exchanged words – with the British heavyweight inviting his veteran opponent to fight there and then instead of 24 hours later if he wished.
Joshua admitted: “There was one session where I was like, ‘what are we training for?’ We trained on Saturday and maybe then I felt what am I training for, but we just had to flip the coin.
“I could spend more time complaining about it, due to this late replacement whoever it might be, but I couldn’t put my energy into complaining. I had to change the script.”
Joshua, who reached the pinnacle of the sport with a victory over Wladimir Klitschko at a sold-out Wembley in 2017, still believes he can become world champion again but Helenius, who should be on a family holiday in Lapland after he beat Mika Mielonen inside a 15th-century castle in Finland last weekend, has other ideas.
Helenius added: “I can’t compare him to Wilder. I have also been sparring before with David Haye, I have been sparring the Klitschkos, both of them, I have been sparring Tyson Fury, Wilder.
“I have even been sparring Joshua when he was going against Klitschko so I have been a long time in this game.
“He is a tough guy. I think we went eight-round sessions. It was pretty close. Hard-hitter, good technicals, a little bit robotic but his last fight, he made a good fight against Jermaine.
“I haven’t been in the ring for a while with him but now is the best time to win.
“Nobody will remember a coward.”
