Boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA is set to face Otto Wallin next – but it’s not the first time he’s faced the Swede. AJ is looking to build on his KO win over Robert Helenius last time out, following his consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua’s next fight is against Otto WallinCredit: Alamy
And AJ has faced him twice before in the amateurs including a cup final clashCredit: Instagram @ottowallin
The British boxer, 34, fought Wallin twice before the pair made it to the professional circuit.
The two clashes came in 2010 and 2011, with AJ coming out on top in both bouts on points.
As an amateur, young Joshua defeated Wallin in the final of the 2010 Haringey Box Cup.
He then claimed his second win over Wallin at the International Amateur Boxing Tournament and joined the GB Olympic squad shortly after.
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But their relationship goes further than that.
The Swede, 32, clearly made an impression on AJ, who drafted the southpaw in as a sparring partner before his IBF world title fight against Charles Martin in 2016.
The two shared a picture together at the Sheffield Institute of Sport and the snap was shared on Wallin’s Instagram account.
Since then, the Swedish heavyweight has won 26 fights of his 28 fights, with his only loss coming at hands of Tyson Fury.
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Wallin, ranked IBF No.2, is known for giving WBC champion Tyson Fury one of the biggest scares of his career back in 2019.
His huge left hook left a gaping cut above Fury’s eye during their 12-round bout in Vegas, and Gypsy King required 47 stitches.
Fury had to step up his attack, and worked his way into a points win.
Wallin has won six on the spin since then, with some respectable names beaten, such as Murat Gassiev in his last fight in September.
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.
The fight will likely to take place on Saturday, December 23, with an announcement reportedly imminent.
AJ will face the dangerous Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin in DecemberCredit: Getty
Here’s how the two stars match up More

SAUDI ARABIA has thrown so much cash at Anthony Joshua he has forgotten what is fundamentally right and fundamentally left.After back-to-back defeats to southpaw genius Oleksandr Usyk, the 34-year-old London 2012 legend vowed to swerve lefties for the rest of his career.
Anthony Joshua will step back into the ring on December 23Credit: Getty
He will face the dangerous Swedish heavyweight Otto WallinCredit: Getty
Rehabilitation wins over orthodox little’un Jermain Franklin and right-handed big gun Robert Helenius were the perfect stepping stones toward the single most right-handed heavyweight champion in history, Deontay Wilder.
But, following a mega-money curveball from the desert kingdom, AJ is facing Otto Wallin on December 23 in Riyadh – a 6ft 5in talent who jabs with his right and whacks with his left.
It is a large, risky and confusing lurch off the seemingly straightforward gravy train tracks.
And now, with barely six weeks’ notice, he will leap back into the ring to face the respected 32-year-old.
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Wallin has only one defeat on his record – to Tyson Fury – and that should have really been a shock upset win.
In their 2019 Las Vegas bloodbath the former prison guard bashed a gash into Fury’s eye that – if he were not the celebrated, undefeated Gyspy King about to enter back-to-back fights with Deontay Wilder – would have cost him his first defeat, as well as the 47 stitches required to save his career.
The following years were quiet for the much-avoided nice guy.
But in August he once again took a big gamble, travelled to Turkey as the away fighter expected to lose, to fight Murat Gassiev.
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Here’s how the two stars stack up
Gassiev was a frightening Russian bulldozer who had only lost previously to Usyk over the distance but Wallin stunned him with a split decision that was generous to the beaten favourite.
It begs the question: Whose idea was it for AJ to take on this awkward 17st southpaw who only people in the trade will really know and respect?
The mainstream fans who Joshua won over emphatically with his rapid rise from Reading remand wing to Olympic golden boy, to unified world champion and national treasure, will be nonplussed by a win over the pale Swede.
But if he were to suffer a devastating loss to an unfamiliar name outside casual fans’ checklist of bonafide heavyweight stars, there wouldn’t be a spare seat on the bandwagon to write him off – again.

A far easier and more marketable fight would seem to be the one Daniel Dubois is having on the very same Riyadh show.
Dynamite Dan is fighting America’s obese dope cheat Jarrell Miller who shot to fame on a reinforced winch for failing multiple tests in the build-up to his planned 2019 bout with AJ.
Instead Andy Ruiz Jr was drafted in as a late replacement, disaster struck and Joshua’s career altered dramatically.
A revenge mission against Miller would have spite and history and pride at stake.
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AJ standing over the infantile imbecile nicknamed ‘Big Baby’ would be sublime.
Instead he has the very grown-up task of doing what Fury and Gassiev failed to do, in beating Wallin and looking perfect doing it.
Otto Wallin gave Tyson Fury a huge scare when they fought back in 2019Credit: Getty More

ANTHONY JOSHUA will be hoping to provide a Christmas cracker when he faces Otto Wallin next month.The English heavyweight is due to battle the Swede in Saudi Arabia on December 23.
Anthony Joshua is returning to the ring on December 23Credit: AFP
Swedish star Otto Wallin looks set to be the man to face AJCredit: Getty
Here’s how the two men stack up ahead of the Middle East clash as both men look to continue their recent winning runs:
ANTHONY JOSHUA
After back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk and the end of his WBA, IBF and WBO world titles, the 34-year-old needed a convincing comeback in 2023.
But his career suffered another bloody nose when he was dragged the distance by Jermaine Franklin on his comeback fight in April.
There were a couple of boos at the end as AJ claimed the victory via unanimous decision.
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The Watford-born star did not take long to get back in the ring and he produced a knockout performance to destroy Robert Helenius in the seventh round in August.
Now at the age of 34, he knows that winning run must continue as he looks to secure future battles with the likes of Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
Joshua does enjoy a very slight height advantage over Wallin, but after weighing in at 250lb for his last outing, it will be his bulk that will make him the favourite.
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Here’s how the two heavyweights stack up
OTTO WALLIN
The tricky southpaw famously gave Fury an almighty scare.
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He fought the Gypsy King in Las Vegas back in September 2019 – and the Brit needed his cut man to save him that night.
Fury was caught with a huge left hook from Wallin in the third round, and at the end of the sixth, the ringside doctor was called in to have a look at the gash.
The now WBC champ was forced to go into panic mode and stepped up his attacks over worries it might be stopped and he barraged his way into a points win, but not before some scares along the way from the brave Swede.
Now Wallin, who is two years younger than AJ, will be hoping to go one better by beating his next English opponent.
While his knockout record is not as good as Joshua’s, with 14 from his 28 bouts, that loss to Fury is the only blemish on his record.
And he already has experience of facing AJ as the pair fought twice as amateurs before hitting the pro ranks – although the Swede was on the losing side on points in both of fights.
But he comes into this one on a six-match winning streak since that clash with Fury, and he had his hand-raised last time out after claiming a split decision triumph over Murat Gassiev in September.
Otto Wallin gave Tyson Fury a huge scare when they fought back in 2019Credit: Getty More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has reportedly hired Tyson Fury’s former coach Ben Davison to help him train for his fight with Otto Wallin.The heavyweight is set to face Wallin in Saudi Arabia on December 23 – when Fury was initially scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua will be trained by Ben Davison for his next fightCredit: Getty
Davison previously trained Tyson Fury for his first clash with Deontay WilderCredit: Willie Vass
Davison will be Joshua’s fifth coach in just over two years, report the Daily Star.
Joshua parted ways with long-term trainer Robert McCracken following his first defeat to Usyk.
AJ then worked with Robert Garcia and Angel Fernandez but split after losing to Usyk for a second time.
He then partnered with Derrick James for his wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
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James will remain Joshua’s permanent coach but is unable to train him for the Wallin clash due to his commitment to another boxer, Ryan Garcia, who has a fight on December 2.
That means Davison will only help out Joshua on a one-time basis, with the training camp to take place in the UK.
Joshua, 34, is understood to have already begun working with Davison at his gym in Essex.
It is a return to the limelight for Davison who helped Fury throughout his comeback to the ring.
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He was in the Gypsy King’s corner for his first bout with Deontay Wilder which ended in a draw.
Fury then split with Davison to work with SugarHill Steward as he wanted to improve his knock-out power. More