Anthony Joshua offers Robert Helenius STREET FIGHT in tense stare-down after weighing in for must-win bout

1 year ago 109

ANTHONY JOSHUA offered Robert Helenius a straightener on the Shepherds Bush weigh-in stage 24hrs before their big-money bout.

The heavyweight clash could have been cancelled, if the giant pair had hurt each other the day before their scheduled and official fight.

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 11, 2023

But the 39-year-old Nordic Nightmare, who snapped up the bout as a late sub, backed down from the ice-cold face-off.

After the pair hit the scales, with AJ weighing 250lbs, they went nose-to-nose for the ceremonial photo-shoot staring match.

And when Helenius – who was an AJ sparring partner in 2017 and is pictured hugging him – held his gaze too long, the 33-year-old Brit snapped.

AJ could be seen saying: “Have you got a problem with me?

“You’re looking like you have a problem with me.

“It’s up to you what we do, we can have a fight tomorrow or we can go here now?”

Helenius wisely calmed the red-hot atmosphere, saying afterwards: “Nothing important was said. I am just here to cause the upset”.

The heavyweight outsider only accepted the short-notice fight on seven days notice.

It followed from Dillian Whyte’s failed drug test, which saw him withdrawn from rematching Joshua.

But the show must go on with Helenius bidding to upset AJ’s applecart in the capital.

While Joshua has a super-fight with Deontay Wilder tabled in Saudi Arabia should he avoid a Helenius banana skin.