ANTHONY JOSHUA now turns his attention to a dangerous fight with Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
AJ, 34, is looking for a third win in a row after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, as he attempts to put himself into position for more potentially blockbuster fights in 2024.
Next up is Wallin, the Swede who left Tyson Fury covered in blood and needing 47 stitches above his eye during their close encounter four years ago.
Wallin, 33, has won all six of his fights since, but only one has come via knockout and he hasn’t looked anywhere near the threat he did against Fury in Las Vegas.
Joshua could be elevated into a mandatory position to fight for the IBF title – currently held by Usyk – with a win over Wallin, with potential mega-fights against Fury or Deontay Wilder also on his radar.
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Having struggled with lefties in the past, however, Joshua will need to be on his A-game against Wallin if he wants to fight for a world title again.
Fans certainly can’t wait for this humdinger to start.
AJ’s fall from grace has been tough to see for supporters, with many still reckoning he can mix with the very best of the heavyweight world.
Against Wallin, Joshua has the chance to show he can indeed carry the hopes of a nation once more.
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And with rival Tyson Fury almost getting beaten by Wallin, a win would certainly boost AJ’s confidence ahead of a potential showdown with Deontay Wilder.
🥊ANTHONY JOSHUA VS OTTO WALLIN: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF THRILLING SAUDI CLASH🥊
Who are their trainers?
Joshua had previously been working with Derrick James this year, employing him for the wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
James hails from Texas in the USA and is known for his work with unified welterweight king Errol Spence Jr.
But he switched up tactics by employing none other than Ben Davidson for his clash with Wallin.
Davidson famously coached Tyson Fury for his first fight against Deontay Wilder and is known for his patient tactical style.
As for Wallin, he is working with Joey Gamache, a former lightweight and super featherweight boxer.
Gamache won 55 of his 59 pro fights and will be encouraging Wallin to go for the KO.
What belts are on the line?
Neither fighter currently holds any of the major heavyweight belts.
But victory is likely to set up a battle against the winner of Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker.
And the victor of that bout could then end up taking on one of Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk to become champion of the world.
Wallin does boast the WBA Inter-Continental belt though, and AJ will be more than happy to grab that from the Swede.
When is Joshua vs Wallin?
- Anthony Joshua’s big clash with Otto Wallin will take place on Saturday, December 23.
- The fight will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Ring-walks for the main event will likely get going from 11pm GMT.
What happened at the weigh-in?
Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin have completed their weigh-ins and are all set for their huge bout on Saturday night.
AJ will go into the clash in Saudi Arabia at 251lbs, while his Swedish opponent will fight at 238.6lbs.
What happened in Joshua’s last fight?
AJ’s last fight saw him take on Robert Helenius in August.
The two giants went toe-to-toe for seven rounds at the O2 Arena in London.
But it was Joshua who emerged victorious with a fierce KO, extending his record to 27-3.
What happened in Wallin’s last fight?
The Swede saw his record move to 26-1 with victory over Murat Gassiev in September.
Wallin won a split decision after 12 brilliant rounds.
And the result saw him become the WBA Inter-Continental champ.
SunSport’s prediction
This is going to be a brutal and bloody fight.
But Joshua has a point to prove, especially with a clash against Deontay Wilder on the line.
And we reckon the Brit will get the KO against Wallin.
What TV channel is Joshua vs Wallin on and can it be live streamed?
- Joshua vs Wallin will be broadcast LIVE on DAZN PPV.
- If you have purchased the PPV, you can live stream the huge bill in Saudi Arabia via the DAZN app.
- TNT Sports Box Office will also be showing the event.
What is the Joshua vs Wallin PPV price?
- DAZN subscribers can purchase the bout for £19.99 in the UK and $39.99 in the US.
- If you have not already subscribed to DAZN in the UK, you can join DAZN for £9.99-a-month, which commits you to an entire year of action.
- A flexible pass, worth £19.99 a month, is also available, and you can cancel anytime.
- You can also pay £99.99 for the year upfront, and this is the lowest cost option.
- In the US, you can purchase a DAZN monthly subscription for $24.99 a month or $224.99 a year.
- DAZN also provide an option for $19.99 per month, but you will be locked into a 12-month contract.
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- TNT Sports Box Office will also be showing the event in the UK for a PPV price of £19.99.
Full card details
The card is going to be a massive one, packed with heavyweight bust-ups.
Deontay Wilder is fighting Joseph Parker in the co-main event, while Daniel Dubois is also going to be in action.
Dubois will take on former drug cheat Jarrell Miller, who was supposed to fight AJ back in June 2019.
Dmitry Bivol, Filip Hrgovic and Jai Opetaia are all going to feature on the card too.
- Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin
- Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker
- Daniel Dubois vs Jarrell Miller
- Dmitry Bivol vs Lyndon Arthur
- Jai Opetaia vs Ellis Zorro
- Filip Hrgovic vs Mark Di Mori
- Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Agit Kabayel
- Frank Sanchez vs Junior Fa
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
