'You got a problem?' - fired up Joshua weighs in

Joshua (left) has won 25 fights and mislaid 3 arsenic a pro, with Helenius having won 32 and mislaid four

A fired-up Anthony Joshua exchanged words with hostile Robert Helenius during a long, aggravated stare-down arsenic the heavyweights weighed successful for Saturday's bout astatine London's O2 Arena.

The 39-year-old Finn took the combat astatine a week's announcement aft Dillian Whyte failed a voluntary drugs test.

"You got a occupation with me?" Joshua asked Helenius.

In a swift retort, Helenius told Joshua: "I don't got a occupation with you."

Having conscionable weighed successful astatine Westfield London buying centre connected Friday, Joshua told his opponent: "We're going to combat present oregon we're going to combat tomorrow. Either mode we're going to fight."

He instructed Helenius to "stop acting up", adding: "Let's enactment calm, let's enactment cool."

The speech was a stark opposition to Wednesday's respectful quality conference, wherever some men shared pleasantries and shook hands.

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'Spicy' weigh-in with a 'happy' Joshua

Promoter Eddie Hearn described the weigh-in arsenic a "spicy" appetiser, having seen Joshua enactment uncharacteristically successful a confrontational manner.

Fans lined the balconies overseeing the atrium of the buying centre successful White City, anxious to drawback a glimpse of two-time satellite champion Joshua.

With the undercard weigh-in done, a relaxed Joshua took his clip successful coming to the stage. The London 2012 golden medallist handed retired hats and took photos with fans, arsenic Helenius was made to wait.

As the 2 men came look to face, Joshua - who has won 25 fights and mislaid 3 since turning pro - locked eyes with his hostile and refused to avert his gaze.

Joshua says a alteration of hostile is "not a occupation astatine all". He added: "A small blip successful my time didn't alteration the full trajectory of however my grooming campy went.

"Stay focused. I'm blessed I inactive get my time successful the ringing tomorrow. I'm looking guardant to it. This is my job. This is what I emotion doing."

'I request to get backmost connected that gravy train'

Joshua was astatine a career-heavy 18st 3lb (115.7kg) for his points triumph implicit Jermaine Franklin successful April, with galore having expected the Londoner to people his archetypal knockout triumph since stopping Kubrat Pulev successful the seventh circular successful 2020.

But successful the build-up, helium refused to foretell a knockout and talked much of the "process". After 2 losses to Oleksandr Usyk, it was a win-at-all-costs mindset.

Now successful his 2nd combat nether the tutelage of trainer Derrick James, Joshua is simply a batch much forthcoming connected the request to triumph successful style.

"I request to get backmost connected that gravy train," helium said. "Drop idiosyncratic and larn however to instrumentality them on.

"[I want] my manus to deed idiosyncratic truthful hard that their jaw bony vibrates done my full forearm, bicep and shoulder."

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Joshua is being tipped by astir fans to halt Helenius wrong the distance, but 'The Nordic Nightmare' - who was knocked retired successful the archetypal circular by Deontay Wilder successful October - disagrees, insisting helium is not successful London to marque up the numbers.

"I don't perceive to those, they're not pro boxers," Helenius said. "Boxing is simply a fantastic athletics and similar my past large combat against Wilder it tin beryllium implicit successful 1 shot.

"I deliberation I'm arsenic gangly arsenic him [Joshua]. We are beauteous akin speeds and akin power. I deliberation I person amended footwork than him, and much experience. That's going to bring maine done to the win."

Analysis - Pumped Joshua needs an eye-catching win

Joshua is pumped up. He is acceptable for a combat and looking to instrumentality the frustrations of the past week retired connected Helenius.

The Briton knows helium indispensable present an eye-catching show time night, but it's been a agelong clip since that's happened.

Since his decision to Andy Ruiz Jr successful June 2019, helium has go somewhat focused connected out-boxing opponents, alternatively than pushing for the stoppage.

It worked successful the rematch with Ruiz Jr arsenic Joshua reclaimed his satellite titles, but not successful back-to-back losses to masterful technician Usyk - Joshua being outpointed connected some occasions.

Critics accidental 'AJ' has mislaid that spite, that venom, that helium is 'gun shy'. They privation him to transmission the Joshua of old, the naive, relentless puncher and objective finisher.

The boxer who went to warfare with Wladimir Klitschko, not the antheral who boxed tentatively to bushed Franklin connected points.

Fans privation to beryllium entertained. They privation to cognize Joshua has 'still got it'.