Anthony Joshua hits Otto Wallin during their Day of Reckoning: Fight Night main event at Kingdom Arena on December 23, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Anthony Joshua completed a strong comeback year with a five-round TKO victory over fellow heavyweight contender Otto Wallin in the main event of the highly anticipated Day of Reckoning show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday.
Joshua (27-3, 23 KOs), won his third fight of 2023, bouncing back from consecutive decision losses to Ring champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022, and looked strong doing it. In Wallin (21-2, 14 KOs), The Ring’s No. 10 heavyweight, No. 2-ranked Joshua faced a capable opponent. Wallin’s only previous professional loss was a competitive 12-round decision to Tyson Fury in 2019, and the 33-year-old Swedish southpaw was on a six-fight winning streak.
Therefore, a confident Wallin had no problem holding his own against Joshua until the 34-year-old British superstar gave him a problem with a crisp and precise right cross hook and left hook combination at 2 minutes into the fifth round. Wallin managed to stay upright, but on shaky legs as Joshua calmly accompanied him with punches and right hands to the body. Wallin’s corner saved him from the inevitable by calling off the fight seconds after the fifth round ended.
Over the course of four rounds, it was an even battle of punches with Joshua looking to land his right and Wallin trying to land with his left. Joshua was composed, technically sound and focused as he took command of the center of the ring in each round.
What will happen next is anyone’s guess. The plan was for Joshua to fight his old American rival Deontay Wilder in March, but the 38-year-old knockout artist was defeated by Joseph Parker in the co-main event of the Day of Reckoning event, and the Alabama native didn’t look good. him going 12 rounds with Joshua’s old foe.
There isn’t much interest in a rematch between Joshua and Parker, but the next massive event to be held in Riyadh is the long-awaited Usyk vs. Undisputed Championship. Fury on February 17. If Fury wins that confrontation, the most important fight that will take place in boxing will be Fury vs. Joshua, a clash of the most celebrated British heavyweights of the modern era, a fight that belongs to Britain but will likely land in Saudi Arabia.
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