Anthony Joshua ended 2023 with an impressive victory against Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia – after heavyweight rival Deontay Wilder had suffered a shock defeat.
Joshua left Wallin bloodied and battered, forcing his corner to end the fight after the fifth round.
Joshua put in a disciplined performance against Wallin
Joshua put in a disciplined performance against Wallin
Joshua’s showdown with Wallin came on the same card as Wilder vs Joseph Parker, with the expectation being that AJ and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ would fight next.
Parker scuppered these plans, however, as he outboxed Wilder and beat him by unanimous decision.
Joshua’s bout followed but another surprise defeat never looked likely, as he looked focused from the start and produced an impressive performance to completely shut down Wallin.
Joshua, with Tyson Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison in his corner, came out positively from the opening bell, putting immediate pressure on Wallin and letting his right hand go.
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Through a few rounds, Joshua had bloodied the nose of Wallin, but he was not putting any combinations together, instead opting to pot-shot his opponent.
But, in round five this all changed, as Joshua landed a thunderous right hand-left hook combination that sent his opponent stumbling back against the ropes.
Joshua is now on a three fight win streak
Joshua is now on a three fight win streak
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AJ followed up with a brutal barrage of punches, but the Swede survived and made it back to his corner at the end of the round.
But, this is as far as the fight would go.
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Wallin’s corner could tell their fighter was hurt and that he was out of his depth against Joshua and they pulled him out of the contest, handing the technical knockout win to the Brit.
As for what’s next for Joshua, he is highly ranked with the IBF and so could wait for the title to be vacated and fight Filip Hrgovic in an attempt to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.
Or we could see him take on the winner of the undisputed heavyweight world title clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, which will take place on February 17, although they do have a rematch clause in place.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, was unfazed by Wilder’s defeat and suggested Hrgovic was now the likely next opponent.
Hearn declared of his man: “He’s back. They told me this guy’s back, he’s destroying people in sparring.
“I believe that this Anthony Joshua is the best heavyweight in the world. It was just a stunning performance.
“With this mindset and this team I think he’s unbeatable and 2024 is going to be a massive year for him.”
Joshua, meanwhile, did not rule out a showdown with Wilder down the line despite his shock defeat: “I heard that Deontay lost. So what? He’ll be back. Deontay, everything that he said about me, I could rip him apart right now, but I’m going to take the higher ground.
“You can come back. If he wanted to, he can come back. I’m sure everyone still wants to see that fight.” @Talksports