Joshua v Wallin LIVE: Eddie Hearn casts doubt on Wilder fight in post-fight interview
‘AJ’ produced a stunning display to force a corner stoppage of Otto Wallin after a disastrous night for Deontay Wilder
Anthony Joshua shone at the Day of Reckoning in Saudi Arabia to breathe new life into his pursuit of a third world heavyweight title after victory over Otto Wallin.
On a bumper card in Riyadh, as the Gulf state continues its boxing revolution, Joshua stopped the Swede after five rounds, holding up his end of the bargain ahead of a bumper 2024 for the sport in the region.
But Deontay Wilder was upset by Joseph Parker, who was dominant over 12 rounds against the lacklustre American, whose future is now in major doubt.
Elsewhere on the card, pound-for-pound star Dmitry Bivol struggled to put away Briton Lyndon Arthur and was forced to settle for a points win to retain his WBA light-heavyweight title in anticipation of an undisputed title fight against the winner of Artur Beterbiev v Callum Smith. Daniel Dubois also impressed, outclassing the controversial Jarrell Miller to produce a spectacular stoppage to revitalise his career after a crushing defeat to Joe Joyce and a stoppage to Oleksandr Usyk. Follow all the latest reaction from Riyadh - plus get the latest tips and betting advice here.
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin predictions: Boxing betting tips, odds and free bets
Anthony Joshua risks his shot at a massive heavyweight showdown with Deontay Wilder next year when he goes up against Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia.
AJ and Wilder are both on the bill for the ‘Day of Reckoning’ in Riyadh, one of the strongest overall cards we’ve ever seen, but it would have been even more special if they’d been facing each other.
The two men held different versions of the world heavyweight titles at the same time from April 2016 to June 2019 without ever getting in the ring together. Now, without the titles draped around their shoulders, they each face one final hurdle on Saturday before potentially squaring off next year.
The boxing betting sites have both men as heavy favourites for their bouts this weekend, and we’ve got predictions for Wilder’s bout with Joseph Parker.
Wilder is expected to do the business, as is Joshua, and here are our Joshua vs Wallin predictions and betting tips for tonight’s showdown in Saudi Arabia:
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin predictions: Boxing betting tips, odds and free bets
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder become zombies: Inside the making of boxing’s Day of Reckoning trailer
Rotting skin is peeling off of Anthony Joshua’s face as he signs a blood contract with Eddie Hearn. Somewhere on the street outside, Deontay Wilder – relying on what little is left of his mind – careens a van around a corner before mowing down a zombie. In the passenger seat, promoter Frank Warren is hanging on for dear life; or he would be, if he was not already the embodiment of the living dead. Elsewhere in this post-apocalyptic, zombified town, Filip Hrgovic reaches into a glass and grabs his eyeball, before popping it back into his battered skull. Joseph Parker is staring into the distance, until suddenly he’s staring at you, having rotated his head 180 degrees atop his creaky spine. This, in case you were wondering, is the trailer for the Day of Reckoning boxing event.
On 23 December, the heavyweights above will compete in Saudi Arabia, all on one card and joined by Otto Wallin, Daniel Dubois, Jarrell Miller and more. On paper – and this event will print plenty of paper – it will be perhaps the most impressive concentration of boxing star power and talent ever on one night. In modern boxing, Joshua vs Wallin and Wilder vs Parker are main-event bouts, but their undercards would typically leave a lot to be desired. On 23 December, however, one of those main-event bouts will have to serve as the chief support, and the undercard will feature the likes of light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and Jai Opetaia (who may still be a cruiserweight world champion come fight night, unless he is forced to vacate his title).
And just as this impending gathering of boxers is unprecedented, the promotion has been, too. That is not only in the sense that bitter rivals Warren and Eddie Hearn were seen on stage together at the launch press conference for Day of Reckoning (the pair had never met until that day in November). The event poster depicts all of the biggest names from a fight card full of big names, sat around a table and staring up at the camera. It is an arresting visual, only outdone by this week’s zombie-themed trailer.
Inside the making of the bizarre but brilliant Day of Reckoning trailer
Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and the simple truth behind Saudi Arabia’s boxing revolution
At first it was Las Vegas, then Atlantic City and now Saudi Arabia is leading the latest boxing revolution.
The business of boxing is simple: build something, find the heavyweights, in this case Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and several others, find the money and they will come. It really is that easy.
It was casino cash in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, and now it is investment money from the government that has attracted the boxers, their entourages, promoters, fixers, floaters and other assorted characters in the boxing circus to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In the Seventies when Las Vegas opened the vault and the Eighties when Atlantic City’s bloody history started, there were fears that boxing would be isolated forever; the worry was that the cash wall, provided by the deep vaults at the casinos, would end free trade. The same false fears have been raised over the ambitions of the current boxing regime in Saudi Arabia. The brutal truth is that it is the responsibility of promoters all over the world to get their act together to compete for the big fights.
Read Steve Bunce’s full analysis of the Saudi boxing revolution:
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