Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin: Preview & Prediction

It’s another Anthony Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) fight week, and this one has high stakes.

Joshua will take on Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KOs)  inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this Saturday (December 23). On this night and card, Deontay Wilder will be facing Joseph Parker. If “The Bronze Bomber” can defeat Parker as many expect him to, then it would be up to Joshua to get past Wallin to open the door for a clash with Wilder.

Joshua may be the betting favorite entering his bout with Wallin, but he’s no stranger to being bitten by the upset bug. AJ has suffered upset losses against Andy Ruiz and Oleksandr Usyk, with the latter defeating him a second time in their rematch. After rebounding from back-to-back losses against Usyk with wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, Joshua hopes to prove that he’s truly back on track.

Since giving Tyson Fury all he could handle in a losing effort in 2019, Wallin has won six fights in a row. With that, this is by far the most high-profile bout he’s been in since that Fury fight four years ago.

Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin Preview & Prediction

We’ve been seeing a far more patient version of Joshua as of late. He has taken a more measured approach since the loss against Ruiz in their first meeting. If there’s one thing those two fights with Usyk taught us, it’s that a more technically sound fighter can outbox AJ.

The burning question would be, is Wallin good enough to hand Joshua his fourth loss as a pro fighter? In his most recent outing against Murat Gassiev, Wallin was hit with the better punches early on, but in the sixth round, Wallin had his opponent rocked momentarily, swinging momentum in his favor down the stretch for the split nod.

Joshua would benefit from using controlled aggression, as Gassiev found success pressuring Wallin. I doubt Wallin will leave himself as open as Helenius did for that flush right hand, but AJ can certainly have his opponent moving backward if he turns on the gas.

The concern here with Joshua is that he struggled to find the range against Helenius before landing the knockout blow in round seven. Helenius also looked tired early on, which will not be the case with Wallin. Also, Helenius had just fought seven days prior to the Joshua bout.

I think there is a chance for an upset here, and you know what? I’m taking the underdog.

Prediction: Otto Wallin via split decision

Fernando Quiles Jr.

Fernando has been covering combat sports and pro wrestling for over a decade. He currently writes for BJPenn.com and has also contributed for Sports Illustrated’s MMA Knockout. Fernando is excited to be a part of FightsATW to provide you with the latest news content in the world of pro wrestling.

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