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Anthony Joshua is back and reveals defiant edge needed to take down Deontay Wilder
Anthony Joshua is back and reveals defiant edge needed to take down Deontay Wilder
It was at a quarter to midnight that Anthony Joshua turned out the lights on Robert Helenius. Several minutes later, they finally came back on. The right hand came out of nowhere, hidden behind a pair of feinted jabs, and it turned the tide on a wave of boos in the O2 Arena, after the crowd had seemed to turn on Joshua. The Briton, 33, has been accused for some time now of being gun shy, but when he finally found the trigger on Saturday, he throttled it. It was killer instinct, coupled with god-given power, that allowed Joshua to rise through the sport quickly and impressively despite his late start. The ‘sweet science’ side of the game seemingly only appealed to him after he was stunned by Andy Ruiz Jr, and "AJ" employed elements of that approach in their rematch to construct a smart, safe performance and win on points. 'Safe' may just be the key word there, however, and it does hint at the downside to Joshua trying to add another string to his crossbow; that development also seemed to indicate a fear of letting loose – of risking ending up in a firefight. His interest in that tact increased after his first loss to Oleksandr Usyk, in which the Briton was discombobulated by the southpaw’s speed, angles and invention. Joshua tried to adapt in their rematch, but - although he improved upon his previous showing - he was outboxed again. It was only on the microphone, after the bout, that he let go. Similarly, it was only after the final bell in April, when Joshua had laboured past Jermaine Franklin, that there was any threat of a fight breaking out. On Saturday, Joshua was able to have his cake and eat it. For six rounds he probed patiently, to the audible frustration of the London crowd, but in the seventh round he finally produced the kind of one-shot KO that fans had craved all week, since Helenius was announced as Dillian Whyte's replacement. In the first round, Joshua found the timing of his jab quickly, to his credit. He varied its destination well, while his crosses and hooks were out of range for the time being. As the rounds progressed, however, those shots began to land intermittently, with Helenius more than once eating right crosses with his back to the ropes – a sign of what would ultimately prove his downfall. As early as the third round, fans had begun to whistle – then boo – but all the while Joshua kept working, refusing to force a finish. It could be argued that Joshua should have been more adventurous, mind you, but he was intent on taking his time. The lancing jab was still working to good effect, bloodying Helenius's nose badly. In the fifth, Joshua knocked the Finn, 39, off balance with a well-timed counter left hook, just as Helenius seemed to be growing in confidence, output and accuracy. But in the sixth, the boos resumed and reached a quite startling level, accompanied by one shout of: "AJ, what are you f***in' doin'??" Biding his time, it seemed, and in the next round he decided the time had come. Joshua jabbed low, then high, with neither shot landing but neither intended to. Behind those feints, Joshua hid a hard right cross, slung onto Helenius's chin, which sent the Finn lolloping sickeningly to the mat. Joshua walked away at once, knowing the job was done. Then, in a moment of defiance and with a glimmer of his old swagger, he turned and added a crotch chop, as the crowd around him finally used its voice to support the face of British boxing. “People need to leave me alone, let me breathe a bit. I’ll see you again soon, hopefully two more times this year, I need to stay busy,” Joshua said, before taking a shot at his rivals. “My back’s gone, I’m carrying this heavyweight division to the top.” Joshua, yet again to his credit, stayed to embrace those changeable masses in the O2 for more than half an hour. He has been accused of holding a grudge or two in his time, but he was quick to forgive on this night. Regardless of whether the Deontay Wilder fight is next for Joshua, the merit of this win should not be overlooked. Fans might actually cherish Joshua's come-up – that bewitching batch of knockouts against lesser foes – more than most of the fights in his two world-title reigns. When all is said and done, fighters leave fans with memories and highlights packages, and this victory over Helenius was a long-awaited, much-needed addition for Joshua. In winding back the clock, Joshua might just have found himself again. Read More Joshua vs Helenius LIVE: Boxing result and reaction after AJ delivers brutal knockout It’s time to stop taking Anthony Joshua for granted Campbell Hatton: ‘I used to have my nappy changed on the ring apron!’ Glove row put Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius in late doubt Anthony Joshua focused only on Robert Helenius amid Deontay Wilder speculation Anthony Joshua weighs in ahead of bout against Robert Helenius
2023-08-13 08:03
Street Fighter 6 announces release date
Street Fighter 6 announces release date
'Street Fighter 6' will be released on June 2 2023 and is available to pre-order now.
1970-01-01 08:00
Tuam babies whistleblower 'optimistic for closure'
Tuam babies whistleblower 'optimistic for closure'
Catherine Corless speaks as the Irish government announces a director to oversee an excavation.
2023-05-24 20:39
Travis Kelce's reaction to a Taylor Swift tune has Swifties wishing this is the 'love endgame' for singer
Travis Kelce's reaction to a Taylor Swift tune has Swifties wishing this is the 'love endgame' for singer
The fairytale romance of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift has left fans hoping for a forever story
2023-11-20 14:50
Ivanka Trump's long neck has gone viral:
Ivanka Trump's long neck has gone viral: "I can't unsee it"
In recent times, we’ve become accustomed to the Trump family making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Now, the internet is talking about Ivanka Trump for possibly one of the oddest reasons – the length of her neck. Interest in her lengthy neck occurred as she gave testimony in court at her father Donald Trump’s fraud trial, at which her presence being requested was enough to enrage her father. After her appearance on 8 November, pictures from inside the courtroom began to circulate on social media with people questioning if her neck was always that long. In court, she wore a navy blue suit and a white t-shirt with her blonde hair worn down in a loose curl. On X/Twitter, one user shared a picture of her taken from the court appearance and asked in the caption, “Is it me, or does Ivanka Trump have an extra long neck? Not photoshopped or doctored.” Someone else said, “Now I've seen how long Ivanka Trump’s neck is, I can’t unsee it”. Others turned the length of her neck into a joke, suggesting that, unlike the fictional character Pinocchio, whose nose grows longer when he lies, Ivanka Trump’s neck grows longer instead. Another joked: “Ivanka Trump: also distancing her head from the rest of her body. Because what in the brontosaurus is up with her neck?” In her testimony, Ivanka Trump said she could not “recall” many things she was being questioned about, namely her involvement with the valuation of her father’s assets. Donald Trump, along with his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, and other execs from the Trump Organization are being sued for defrauding banks and investors by overvaluing the former president’s net worth and assets – allegations they deny. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-11-10 00:38
Goodbye to more DVDs? Best Buy plans to phase out sales of physical movies in the coming months
Goodbye to more DVDs? Best Buy plans to phase out sales of physical movies in the coming months
Best Buy is saying goodbye to movie-watching with physical discs
2023-10-14 00:14
Christopher Morel helps Chicago Cubs rally for a wild 10-7 victory over crosstown White Sox
Christopher Morel helps Chicago Cubs rally for a wild 10-7 victory over crosstown White Sox
Christopher Morel drove in two runs during a six-run fifth inning that featured only three hits, and the streaking Chicago Cubs beat the crosstown White Sox 10-7
2023-07-27 11:38
Primetime Emmy Awards postponed as Hollywood strikes continue, Variety reports
Primetime Emmy Awards postponed as Hollywood strikes continue, Variety reports
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards -- television's top honor -- have been postponed as strikes by Hollywood writers and actors continue, Variety reported Thursday.
2023-07-28 12:14
Squatting Russian diplomat sparks standoff in Australia
Squatting Russian diplomat sparks standoff in Australia
A mystery Russian diplomat with a penchant for loungewear and cigarettes on Friday sparked a national security standoff between Canberra and the Kremlin, defying Australia's efforts to kick him off...
2023-06-23 14:04
What is a superseding indictment?
What is a superseding indictment?
The new charges against former President Donald Trump over his alleged mishandling of classified documents were outlined in what's known as a superseding indictment.
2023-07-29 00:32
Cathay Pacific to hire cabin attendants from mainland China from July
Cathay Pacific to hire cabin attendants from mainland China from July
HONG KONG Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd said on Monday it would in July launch initiatives to improve Mandarin
2023-06-19 13:39
Pirates vs. Mariners prediction and odds for Friday, May 26 (Fade Pittsburgh)
Pirates vs. Mariners prediction and odds for Friday, May 26 (Fade Pittsburgh)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a few weeks removed from their feel good Cinderella Story where they take the MLB world by storm through the first month of the season.Now, their record has stumbled quite a bit, but yet they're still in second place in the NL Central and are sporting a record bar...
2023-05-27 02:52