Anthony Joshua destroys Robert Helenius with ‘monstrous knockout’ punch

British boxing superstar Anthony Joshua has produced a monstrous knockout to get his heavyweight career back on track.

Anthony Joshua ended it with a single punch.

Anthony Joshua unleashed a huge right hand to defeat Finland’s Robert Helenius via knockout in London and set his sights on a return to the top of the heavyweight division.

The British boxing megastar was due to fight Dillian Whyte for the second time but that bout was scrapped after White produced “adverse analytical findings”, according to a doping test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

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Helenius (32-4) stepped in the at the last minute, but was a class below Joshua having been knocked out in the first round by Deontay Wilder in October.

Joshua, 33, eased his way into the fight against 39-year-old Helenius and looked content to get rounds under his belt in a fairly lacklustre start to the bout.

But 1 minute and 27 seconds into the seventh round, Joshua hit Helenius with a brutal right hand that knocked him out cold and sent the Finnish fight onto the ropes and falling to the canvas.

Anthony Joshua knocks out Robert Helenius to win their heavyweight fight. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Anthony Joshua found the right hand! Monstrous knockout #JoshuaHeleniuspic.twitter.com/5fcqraD8zN

— Ben Damon (@ben_damon) August 12, 2023

Joshua massive KO7 Helenius with a huge right hand! Bring on Wilder! #boxing#JoshuaHelenius

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) August 12, 2023

Thank goodness. AJ KOs Helenius. Boy did he need that.

AJ x Wilder next. Let’s go.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 12, 2023

Brutal stuff from AJ. Photo: DAZN.

The DAZN commentator called the punch “a quite stunning, highlight reel knockout”.

“My back hurts because I’m carrying this heavyweight division to the top,” former heavyweight world champion Joshua joked in the ring after the fight.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said there is a “three-fight plan” for Joshua that will ideally see him take on Dillian Whyte, Wilder and Tyson Fury.

“I need to keep building and building because I’ve been off for too long,” Joshua said.

He takes his record to 26-3 and as he continues his quest to return to the top of the heavyweight division after two losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.