Anthony Joshua has won his third fight of 2023 with a TKO victory over Otto Wallin in the main event of the “Day of Reckoning” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
After securing consecutive victories over Jermaine Franklin in April and Robert Helenius with a seventh-round knockout in August, Joshua cruised to a fifth-round technical knockout win over Wallin, who had been expected to be a formidable opponent, especially with his southpaw stance.
The only defeat on Wallin’s record before Joshua came in 2019 against Tyson Fury, in between the Gypsy King’s first and second meetings with Wilder. Fury won by unanimous decision but the Swedish heavyweight certainly made it a harder night than expected for the lineal champ.
Joshua now holds an impressive record of 27 victories and three losses, with 24 knockout wins.
Deontay Wilder lost to former WBO heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker by unanimous decision in the fight before Joshua’s.
Parker was on the front foot throughout the opening rounds, though there was little output from either heavyweight, until Parker began to grow in confidence and unload his shots.
The 31-year-old thus began to build a solid lead over Wilder and unleashed a ferocious barrage of overhand rights and left hooks on the 38-year-old in round eight, threatening to produce a shocking stoppage.
The stoppage did not come, but neither did the comeback that Wilder needed to overturn Parker’s lead. The New Zealander survived Wilder’s best efforts to conjure a dramatic, late victory – the likes of which the American has managed before – and reached the final bell with his sizeable lead still intact.
Wallin’s coach, Joey Garnache, stopped the fight as he didn’t want his man to suffer any more punishment.
It was a tremendous performance from the two-time heavyweight champion, who told his former rival Andy Ruiz after the fight, “I’m back, I’m back”.
