SUMMARY
- The British heavyweight stopped Wallin in the fifth round and drew the battle lines for a potential clash with Deontay Wilder.
- The excitement for a Joshua vs Wilder fight has been on a low with the shocking loss of The Bronze Bomber against Joseph Parker.
The Day of Reckoning event concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a dominant display from Anthony Joshua against Otto Wallin. The British heavyweight stopped Wallin in the fifth round and drew the battle lines for a potential clash with Deontay Wilder.
Wallin’s corner stopped the fight after the nose of the Swedish boxer appeared to be broken. The technical knockout victory is being reported as Joshua’s sharpest performance in recent memory. Talking after the fight, Joshua stated, “Not a throwback fight, just another fight. I respect Otto”.
Turning his attention to the undercard, Joshua talked about Wilder: “I heard Deontay lost, so what, he’ll come back. It shows there are fine margins in this business. I’m not ducking. Everything he [Deontay] said about me, I could rip him apart now, but I’ll take the higher ground and say I hope he comes back”.
Anthony Joshua on Joseph Parker beating Deontay Wilder: “Deontay, everything he said about me, I could rip him apart right now. But I’m gonna take the higher ground and say I hope he comes back.”
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) December 23, 2023
The excitement for a Joshua vs Wilder fight has been on a low with the shocking loss of The Bronze Bomber against Joseph Parker. Wilder gave no excuses in his post-fight interview and even hinted at retirement. The American commented that his timing was off a little bit and gave credit to Joseph for his performance.
Wilder added by commenting on his future: “I’m a happy fighter. I’m a warrior, I’ll be back soon. And if not then, it’s been an enjoyment and a pleasure. I appreciate everybody for the love and support over the years.” If Wilder walked away from the sport, it wouldn’t be a surprise considering his recent slump after fighting Tyson Fury for the first time in 2018.
Lennox Lewis wants Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
Just as The Day of Reckoning concluded, the next fight for Anthony Joshua was a big topic among fans and experts. The first suggestion came from three-time world heavyweight champion, Lennox Lewis, who gave two routes for the British boxer.
Talking to TNT Sports, Lewis commented that this win will help the mental state of Joshua, but there is still a long road ahead of him. He further added by stating, “He’s [Joshua] still got to go up against Tyson Fury – if that fight’s going to be made. I think that’s going to be a great fight for him.” Lewis then suggested that China’s Zhilei Zhang was a great fight for the British heavyweight, but a Battle of Britain fight looks more likely.
“He’s still got to go up against Tyson Fury.” – Lennox Lewis believes there’s still an opportunity to make Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua 🤞 #DayofReckoning pic.twitter.com/X96r4LCNgy
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) December 24, 2023
Lewis was impressed with Joshua in this fight, which was his third win on the bounce after suffering back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk. This is the second KO by Joshua in a row after he slept Robert Helenius ‘The Nordic Nightmare’ in round seven back in August in O2 Arena, Greenwich.
Joshua has been slowly regaining the momentum of his career since his first setback against Andy Ruiz Jr. back in 2019. Since that loss, he has racked up five victories and two losses, which isn’t the best run but good enough to set up a clash against Tyson Fury.