Eddie Hearn went from serene to scramble mode in what felt like 20 seconds.
The longtime Matchroom Boxing figurehead was simply putting the finishing touches on the fight promotion between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. All that was left were a few repetitive press conferences, a weigh-in, and eventually a face-off. But just when Hearn thought he could kick his feet up, relax, and enjoy a good fight, he was hit with the bad news.
According to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), they discovered an adverse analytical finding in one of Whyte’s tests. As a result, he was immediately removed.
With just a few days remaining, Hearn desperately wanted to keep the show alive. He spent countless hours sifting through various names. Although he had a long list to choose from, he settled on fringe contender, Robert Helenius. Neither rust nor his physical conditioning should be a problem, considering that Helenius literally fought just last weekend, a third-round stoppage win against Mika Mielonen.
For the 39-year-old, it was the sort of bounce back he needed. One year prior, he was ruthlessly knocked out at the hands of Deontay Wilder in the very first round.
Still, despite coming up short against the heavyweight division’s elite, Hearn is hoping that Joshua (25-3, 22 KOs) won’t take his man lightly. Outside of his brutal defeat, Helenius racked up three consecutive victories and once called for a Joshua showdown.
Although the motionless images of Helenius laying flat on the canvas are still prevalent, Hearn is urging Joshua to keep his guard up. While there’s no doubt that the former unified champ will be the heavy favorite come fight night, if Joshua is expecting Helenius (32-4, 21 KOs) to be a cakewalk, Hearn believes he has another thing coming.
“He can punch, he’s 6’8,” said Hearn as he listed some of the physical traits of Helenius to Matchroom Boxing. “I think it’s a tricky fight. I think it’s quite a dangerous fight.”