Robert Helenius says he ‘plans to make the most’ of his opportunity to fight Anthony Joshua after stepping in as a last-minute replacement for Dillian Whyte.
Former heavyweight world champion Joshua was due to face old rival Whyte on Saturday night at London’s O2 Arena but the event was thrown into chaos over the weekend after the latter failed a voluntary drug test.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has moved quickly to draft in a replacement, though, and the 39-year-old Helenius has agreed to step in at less than a week’s notice.
Although he was knocked out in the first round of his last major fight against Deontay Wilder back in October, the Finnish heavyweight is backing himself to pull off an upset.
‘I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice,’ said Helenius after the hastily organised bout was announced on Tuesday.
‘This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it.’
Joshua, who famously lost to replacement Andy Ruiz in 2019 after original opponent Jarrell Miller failed a drug test, said of the fight: ‘This wasn’t in the script. I am laser focused on the win.’
Helenius was last in action against compatriot Mika Mielonen in his native Finland just a few days ago, stopping his opponent in the third round of Saturday’s fight to bounce back from his first-round KO against Wilder.
Hearn says Joshua reacted ‘calmly’ to the news of Whyte’s failed drug test and is eager to capitalise on an excellent training camp.
‘AJ is desperate to fight,’ said the promoter. ‘He has looked unbelievable in camp. I have never seen him in such good shape.’
Whyte, meanwhile, has protested his innocence, releasing a statement saying: ‘I am shocked and devastated to learn of a report by VADA of adverse findings relating to me. I only learned of it this morning and am still reacting to it.
‘But I have also just seen that the fight is being cancelled. This is without any chance to demonstrate my innocence before the decision.
‘I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that I have not taken the reported substance in this camp or at any point in my life. I’m completely innocent. I ask to be given the time to go through the process of proving this without anybody jumping to conclusions or a trial by the media.’
MORE : Anthony Joshua fight called off after Dillian Whyte fails doping test
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