ANTHONY JOSHUA is facing tricky southpaw Otto Wallin TONIGHT to top a huge fight night in Saudi Arabia – and there’s not long now to wait!
Wallin famously gave Tyson Fury an almighty scare back in 2019 when the Gypsy King was making his boxing comeback.
And there has been a huge shock on the undercard so far, with Daniel Dubois stopping Jarrell Miller in the dying seconds of their thriller.
BETTING SPECIAL – GET AJ TO WIN AT 35/1 WITH BETFAIR
Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
‘I stayed calm, relaxed, stayed focused’
Joseph Parker, speaking to DAZN: “I have a lot of respect for Wilder but we trained very hard for this. Everyone had other plans but this is God’s plan.
“I was really fit. I stayed calm, relaxed, stayed focused. There’s always things to work on but I got the win. Merry Christmas to us.
“He did catch me a few times on the guard and it’s very hard. If it landed clean then it could be a different story. Working with Andy and George and not getting out of shape was important.
“This is massive and the best opponent I’ve ever faced. Tyson Fury gave us his time with sparring and was massively important.”
Credit: getty The main event
One fight remaining, and it’s the big one! Anthony Joshua returns to the ring against Otto Wallin at the Kingdom Arena. Standby.
That winning moment
Joseph Parker celebrates as he claims shock victory over Deontay Wilder on Day of Reckoning undercard
‘Did a great job’
“No excuses tonight,” says Deontay Wilder. That retreat he went on clearly works because he’s showing great humility and leaves with high spirits.
Really was quite strange that interview. One commentator called him ‘delusional’ for being happy and thinking he did enough to win the right despite losing every round. Another said he’s ‘content’ after hearing him speak about how well he’s invested his money.
I’m really not sure we’ll be seeing him in the ring again.
Parker reacts
“Everyone had plans, other plans, but this is God’s plan,” says Joseph Parker, who’s kind of an expert in winning with humility. The kind of guy that knocks you down and takes you to the hospital.
Parker clearly referring to the planning of Deontay Wilder vs Anthony Joshua next March. Everyone suggesting the fight was done and dusted, but he’s now thrown a huge spanner in the works.
Joseph Parker beats Deontay Wilder on points
118-111, 118-110, 120-108 to Joseph Parker. It’s a unanimous decision and it righty goes the way of the Kiwi.
Deontay Wilder shook his head a bit, but didn’t look too shocked by that. Perhaps that fist in the air was an attempt to sway the minds of the judges. Who knows.
Credit: getty Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker
I’d be stunned if this is anything other than a unanimous points victory for Joseph Parker. Still waiting on that decision…
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 12
Deontay Wilder is warned for a couple of hammer punches to the back of Joseph Parker’s head during the clinch. That’s desperate stuff from the American.
More desperate stuff as he wildly swings like a punter at last orders. Must have missed by two feet with that one.
Parker making sure he clinches and stays there for as long as humanly possible. He does look tired though with 60 seconds left on the clock. Can he see this out?!
Ding ding! That’s it folks. The bell rings and there are celebrations in the ring.
However, those celebrations are coming from both camps. Wilder is pumping his fist and playing to the crowd — does he really think he’s won that?
It goes to the judges.
Credit: getty Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 11
Joseph Parker doesn’t look to be troubled by anything Deontay Wilder is throwing. Didn’t think I would be writing that tonight.
Parker just has to avoid doing anything silly. He’s done the hard yards, now just see it home.
And he certainly does that in Round 11. Wilder is aimlessly throwing wild shots but nothing has landed. Parker is three minutes away from perhaps the biggest scalp of his career.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 10
Deontay Wilder now 6/1 to win this with two rounds remaining. It’s not exactly a secret, but he’s going to need a knockout to win this one.
44/17 punch count in favour of Joseph Parker to this point. I was expecting a big surge from the American in this round but he’s blowing a bit. Nothing of much note in that round.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 9
Deontay Wilder’s knees keep locking. He’s on borrowed time here but Joseph Parker is staying disciplined. Just the occasional leading right to keep his opponent on the back foot.
Not 100% sure what Joe Parker is waiting for though. Surely this is his moment? Wilder started to find his feet in the final 20 seconds and let off some vicious looking swings that didn’t connect.
“Let’s do this,” Wilder says in his corner. That sounded ominous.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 8
Hold on a minute. What happens if Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua both lose tonight? Does that mean we’re getting Joseph Parker vs Otto Wallin in March instead?
WOW! Parker with an incredible attack! The Kiwi fires one off one of those overhand rights that leaves Wilder wobbling on already shaken legs. He senses his moment and follows with a flurry of punches. He went hell for leather to get the finish – but the bell saves Wilder.
Will this last another round?!
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 7
There were just a few signs that Deontay Wilder would let his hands go towards the end of that last round. He did not kick on.
It feels dangerous to say because he can end this in an instant, but he’s looking every bit a 38-year-old heavyweight who’s fought once in 18 months right now.
Huge hit from Parker! Wilder leaves himself wide open, and the Kiwi lands a heavy looping overhand right to the chin of his opponent. The American takes it well enough but his return fire is miles off the target.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 6
Jab up, jab down. Nothing groundbreaking from Joseph Parker but it’s a heck of a lot more than Deontay Wilder’s doing.
Just hearing the commentator asking what’s Plan B for Wilder.
Plan B? Plan B is Plan A and that’s it!
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 5
Most seem to have Joseph Parker winning every round until this point. Deontay Wilder seems to just be avoiding conflict and not engaging with anything of his own.
He’s waiting for the ideal moment, but what happens if it never arrives?
Parker continues to dominate the middle of the ring and clips the American with a cracking snapshot on the cheek.
Another round in the bank for Parker.
Of course, Deontay Wilder doesn’t fight to win rounds. He lost virtually every minute of that clash with Luis Ortiz before doing the business. Parker has to be perfect, Wilder just needs that one golden moment.
Credit: getty
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 4
Joseph Parker decides he’s fed up of the cautious stuff and lands a lovely combination. He’s closing the gap slightly now and looking for the right hand.
Deontay Wilder’s timing is well off as he looks to return, but he’s throwing a few more jabs to find it, as well as the distance.
Parker attacks like a sprinter in the dying seconds of the round with a few attempted power shots. The Kiwi fancies this. He likes his chances.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 3
It’s actually quite strange to see Deontay Wilder being so cautious. Almost more worrying that he’s waiting for something — some chink that he’s seen in Joseph Parker’s armour.
Another fairly uneventful round passes.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 2
Joseph Parker straight out with a jab to the stomach. Nothing too damaging but with Deontay Wilder having thrown nothing – it could be crucial to winning the round on the judges scorecards.
Neither fighter is prepared to close the gap, just the occasional dip in to throw a straight one. You get the sense viewers are starting to wonder what they signed up for, but I’m sure there’s fireworks to come.
How about that then, boos and jeers at the end of the round. “You’ve got two rounds in the bag,” says Joseph Parker’s trainer in the corner.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker – Round 1
Joseph Parker’s trainer Andy Lee has been saying all week that they are going to fight fire with fire.
Deontay Wilder responded by telling Parker to bring a pillow and blanket, because he’s getting put to sleep.
And has there been any fireworks in Round 1?
Nope. It’s a feeling out process. Parker staying well away from that thunderous right hand as Wilder sidesteps his way around the ring, stalking his opponent and waiting for his moment.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker
He’s just a scary bloke. Deontay Wilder punches like a horse kicks, and Robert Helenius can testify to that when being KO’d in the first round during their clash back in October 2022.
But… he is 38. He’s fought once since that defeat to Tyson Fury in 2021. Could he be vulnerable to a more technical and in-form Parker?
They really are trying to ramp up the atmosphere inside the stadium, but it’s not quite there. Certainly not what you would expect of a card of this magnitude.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker
The pair are making their way to the ring now.
Joseph Parker enters first to a tune I’ve not heard before and don’t particularly care for.
And here comes Wilder. No suit weighing him down this time, but he IS wearing a crown. I’m not going to argue with him about that.
Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker
Former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder vs former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.
It seems to be everyone’s ‘big tip’ for an upset tonight with Parker available at 9/2 to clinch a victory, and in doing so spoil that big AJ fight in March.
It’s understandable.
Parker has won three fights on the bounce since his loss to Joe Joyce, and his work with trainer Andy Lee seems to be having a really positive effect. We saw that with his KO win over Simon Kean back in October.
But, as ever, he’s in there with the most devastating puncher in boxing history.
Credit: getty Surprise
Frank Warren thinks we could see a couple of upsets in the last two fights. And I’m certain he’s not just saying that to boost PPV numbers.
He said: “Wallin seems very confident, quietly confident, and AJ does as well.
“For AJ, this is make or break and I’m not being critical or anything, but it’s about what does he have left in the tank, what has he got, can he get himself a seat at the table this year.
“And the same goes for Wilder, he has been out for two years, he’s had one fight in between which was a one rounder, Joe Parker had a really good win last time out.
“So, these are really going to be competitive fights, they certainly are on paper.”
I have been taking a psychedelic South American drug
No, I’m not confessing to that. That’s private.
But the ‘Bronze Bomber’ has preparing for Saudi Arabian debut against former world champion Joseph Parker in a rather alternative fashion.
Wilder has been working on self-improvement through psychedelic medicines in a certified centre in Costa Rica.
He said the ayahuasca retreat has made him “one of the happiest men alive” and “more sensitive”.
“Ah man, ayahuasca has been… man it’s been one of the top things in my life that I’m glad that I’ve experienced,” Wilder said.
“One of the best journeys to experience, it’s been a beautiful thing for me and if you ask my wife she’ll say that it made me more sensitive, and she’s probably right, but it also made me happier as well.”
How much is said retreat? Asking for a friend.
Credit: getty It’s signed
It’s not signed.
Heavyweight rivals Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were reportedly said to have agreed a two-fight deal to face each other, according to boxing correspondent Dan Rafael.
The clash was supposed to take place on March 9, and still might providing they both come through their contests unscathed.
But it ain’t done until it’s done.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
