ANTHONY JOSHUA BEATS OTTO WALLIN

 

.... As Deontay Wilder Suffers Shock Loss To Joseph Parker

Anthony Joshua closed out 2023 with a dominating win over Otto Wallin in the fight tagged ‘Day of Reckoning‘ in Saudi Arabia.

Anthony Joshua closed out 2023 with a dominating win over Otto Wallin in the fight tagged ‘Day of Reckoning‘ in Saudi Arabia.

The Nigerian-born boxer left his opponent bleeding the nose in the ring and forced his corner to stop the fight after the fifth round.

The bout took place on the same card as Deontay Wilder’s surprising defeat to Joseph Parker, setting the stage for a potential future showdown between Joshua and Wilder.

From the opening bell, Joshua showed intent, immediately pressuring Wallin and unleashing powerful combinations.

His relentless attack paid off as he bloodied Wallin’s nose.

In the fifth round, Joshua landed a thunderous right hand-left hook combination that rocked Wallin, followed by a barrage of punches that left his opponent reeling against the ropes.

Sensing Wallin’s weakness, his corner made the decision to stop the fight, awarding Joshua a technical knockout victory.

Looking ahead, Joshua’s next steps remain uncertain, with potential matchups against the winner of the upcoming bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury or a showdown with Filip Hrgovic on the horizon.

Earlier in the night, American Wilder appeared a shadow of himself in Riyadh, and was hurt badly in the eighth as New Zealander Parker was awarded a unanimous decision.

“I heard that Deontay lost. So what? He’ll be back. Deontay, everything that he said about me, I could rip him apart right now, but I’m going to take the higher ground,” Joshua said.

“You can come back. If he wanted to, he can come back. I’m sure everyone still wants to see that fight.”

Parker, also a former world champion, was awarded a unanimous decision with the judges’ scoring it 118-111, 118-110 and 120-108.

Saudi organisers had already pencilled in the Joshua-Wilder bout for next year. While no contract had been signed, the pair were expected to enter the ring post-fight and announce a deal to fight at some point in early 2024.

Wilder admitted all the talk of a fight at least five years in the making had been “a distraction”, although Joshua more than did his part. After the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn said Joshua is most likely going to face Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic for a vacant IBF world title, bidding to become a three-time world champion.

But as the dust settles in Riyadh, many boxing fans will be cursing their luck, as Joshua v Wilder slips away once again.

Despite Wilder’s recent defeat, Joshua also remains open to facing him in the future