Media Review: Joshua vs. Helenius broadcast highlights DAZN's priorities moving forward, while Hearn and Jordan have a planned and pointless argument

THE Anthony Joshua present rolls on – however for the way lengthy? This isn’t a query of how a lot Joshua has left as a fighter, however reasonably as a commodity. He stays one of the crucial marketable fighters on the planet, however it appears more and more probably that these heady nights of his peak are firmly behind us.

On Saturday night time he huffed and puffed earlier than finally doing what so many had paid to see him do: render poor Robert Helenius horizontal. The present, broadcast on DAZN, had all the trimmings of an ‘AJ’ occasion – pyrotechnics, celebrities at ringside, Candy Caroline being performed 735 instances – however there was an emptier really feel to it. After all, this wasn’t the deliberate occasion; Helenius stepped in at per week’s discover after Joshua’s unique opponent, Dillian Whyte, failed a drug check.

And maybe it was due to the abysmal two fights previous the principle occasion, however by the point Helenius and finally Joshua made their solution to the ring issues felt compelled. After Dereck Chisora stumbled to a call win over Gerald Washington, we nonetheless needed to endure evaluation and predictions from DAZN’s punditry staff, regardless of the actual fact it was previous 11pm and each Joshua and Helenius had been able to go, as proven by backstage footage on the published.

It is a sin dedicated by each broadcaster in boxing, not simply DAZN. Somewhat than letting one struggle movement into the subsequent there may be at all times a stop-start schedule that’s deeply irritating.

That being stated, DAZN and the occasion organisers ought to be applauded for the way shortly they pivoted to Helenius as an opponent. The entire struggle branding and visuals on the night time had been modified apparently seamlessly; it regarded as if the Fin was the deliberate opponent all alongside.

And on commentary, the DAZN staff didn’t attempt to pull the wool over our eyes (an excessive amount of). Whereas Chisora and Washington floundered at one another, Mike Costello and Andy Lee made it fairly clear that, whatever the consequence, neither man would maintain a lot relevance within the heavyweight division. That, after all, raises the query of why this struggle was chief help within the first place.

In some methods, the published highlighted what DAZN’s priorities are actually. Extra time was spent on cringe-inducing interviews with KSI and Conor McGregor than discussing the wonderful conflict between Sunny Edwards and Jesse Rodriguez, set for Glendale’s Desert Diamond Area on December 16, that had solely simply been introduced.

Then, throughout the principle occasion as Joshua regarded ponderous for six and a half rounds, they had been extra essential of him than maybe any commentary staff has been earlier than – and so they weren’t being unfair. Whereas Tony Bellew continued to insist Joshua was purposely banking rounds towards Helenius, Lee fairly rightly challenged him on that and questioned whether or not it was extra a case of Joshua taking too lengthy to search out the solutions to what had been reasonably easy questions being posed by Helenius. He puzzled aloud why Joshua wasn’t pulling the set off when Helenius backed himself towards the ropes throughout the struggle.

Joshua finally produced the highlight-reel end we had been all anticipating, however Costello and Lee had been nonetheless asking the appropriate questions. The one factor they did skim over was simply how marked up Joshua was by the point the struggle completed – each eyes had swelling and blood gushed from his nostril. He shouldn’t be taking that type of punishment from somebody like Helenius.

And when it got here for his flip to speak, Joshua was – as we’ve now come to anticipate – only a bit bizarre. When requested a couple of struggle with Deontay Wilder, he made a poorly executed joke about how he’s injured his again from “carrying the heavyweight division.” He appears genuinely fed up with the criticism and questions he continuously has to face, and it’s onerous accountable him. The extent of scrutiny he’s been beneath since profitable his first ‘world’ title is nearly unprecedented, significantly within the UK.

Nonetheless, on we go. Joshua says he needs to struggle two extra instances this yr, which appears unlikely. However he’s proper in insisting that he wants to remain lively, and at the very least yet another look earlier than 2023 involves an in depth would make lots of sense. Wilder is, after all, the specified opponent however there was a definite lack of push for that conflict on this broadcast.

And if that struggle is made, it gained’t simply be the Joshua present. Will probably be a struggle followers have been determined for, no matter the outcomes which have gone towards both man. Joshua is not going to have the strain of carrying the occasion on his personal; he can have an adversary greater than keen to supply drama each within the build-up and within the ring. Maybe then we’ll get a a lot clearer image of who Joshua is as a fighter at this stage in his profession, in a struggle the place he’s free from the strain of making an attempt to avenge a loss or going through somebody he’s anticipated to destroy.

Anthony Joshua celebrates knocking out Robert Helenius on the O2 Area on August 12, 2023 (Julian Finney/Getty Photos)

Final week, Eddie Hearn joined talkSPORT for a dwell interview that was principally billed as a deliberate argument with presenter Simon Jordan. This isn’t the primary time they’ve clashed on air and each have been very essential of one another previously, however it appeared as if Hearn was introduced on for the only function of bickering with Jordan.

It was mean-spirited and completely pointless. It’s baffling that Jordan thought he might prevail in a disagreement with Hearn, and much more complicated as to why Hearn thought-about this a worthwhile endeavour. There was speak of agendas and schemes to undermine Hearn, and the pair took purpose at each other’s backgrounds.