Joshua demolishes Helenius with brutal 7th-round KO

Anthony Joshua picked up a much-needed finish Saturday, taking the next step toward another championship opportunity.

The former two-time unified heavyweight champion knocked out Robert Helenius at the 1:27 mark of the seventh round at O2 Arena in London. It was Joshua's first stoppage win since 2020.

The Brit feinted his jab, went to Helenius' body, and then landed a ferocious right hand that toppled his opponent:

Helenius stepped up on seven days' notice after Dillian Whyte was pulled from the original main event against Joshua due to a positive drug test. Helenius, a 39-year-old Finnish boxer, competed just last weekend and earned a TKO victory. Joshua was a massive betting favorite.

After the fight, Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, said a highly anticipated bout against Deontay Wilder is in talks to be staged in January.

Joshua has now won back-to-back fights for the first time since his second heavyweight title reign ended. The 33-year-old earned a dull decision over Jermaine Franklin Jr. in April.

Joshua dropped the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts to Oleksandr Usyk in a 2021 unanimous decision loss, and then fell short in a 2022 rematch via split decision.