By: Sean Crose
“I’d say he’s still one of the best heavyweights out there,” explains Otto Wallin, courtesy of The Daily Mail, “and he’s had an incredible career.” That said, Wallin – who will face former heavyweight champion Joshua this weekend in Saudi Arabia – clearly feels that the towering Londoner is no longer the fighter he once was. “There’s been a decline,” Wallin says of Joshua, “and I think he’s peaked already.” If so, that’s nothing but good news for veteran contender Wallin, 33. “I think he’s mentally fragile,” Wallin continues. “He’s not sure of himself. He cares a lot about what people think of him, and I think it’s hard for him when people criticize him or there are boos from the crowd.”
Sweden’s Wallin believes the time has come to attack. “I think it’s the perfect time to confront AJ,” he says. “He was a person who searches and destroys, very aggressive. He then lost to Ruiz and was arrested. He lost to Usyk twice. He knows he can lose and get hurt, and he doesn’t like that. He doesn’t like to be hit.” Although not known as a knockout artist, Wallin is an aggressive fighter, one who gave Tyson Fury all Fury could handle when the two men knocked each other down in 2019.
Joshua, however, seems well aware of how important this weekend’s fight is for his career. What’s more, he showed how hard he can still hit when he knocked out Robert Helenius during his last fight in August. It’s easy to forget that all but three of Joshua’s victories have come at distance. There are 23 knockouts out of 26 victories. What’s more, Joshua has defeated numerous notable fighters, from Wladimir Klitschko to Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker. And that Andy Ruiz fight that Wallin mentions? Joshua comfortably won the rematch by changing tactics. Only Usyk has been able to dominate the man.
“He should trust his abilities,” Joshua responds, via talkSPORT, to Wallin’s claim that he has become weak. As far as Joshua is concerned, Wallin should not focus on the mental state of his opponent. “I should rely on the fact that he has worked hard, trust his abilities and believe he is good enough… I shouldn’t rely on whether I am mentally strong or not.” As Joshua sees it, Wallin is approaching things the wrong way heading into Saturday’s fight. “It’s crazy,” he says, “to go into a fight and hope that the fighter you’re fighting isn’t mentally strong and that gives you a chance to beat him.”
