The Day Of Reckoning: Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin & Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker weigh in live from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at 11 am ET
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The boxing clock’s counting down to Anthony Joshua’s third rumble in 2023. The man’s a two-time world heavyweight champ, and he’s headlining the “Day of Reckoning” showdown in Saudi Arabia on December 23, squaring up against Sweden’s southpaw, Otto Wallin.
Joshua’s already bagged a pair of wins this year, one against Jermaine Franklin and the other versus Robert Helenius and now stepping into deeper waters against Wallin, a heavyweight contender who’s got respect in his corner.
Wallin’s a bit of a boxing enigma, a tricky customer who’s given a headache or two to the division’s top dogs. Joshua’s got to be on his A-game, laser-focused, because former world heavyweight king Hasim Rahman’s tossed a word of caution to the Brit. In a chat with Pro Boxing Fans, Rahman’s puzzled about Joshua picking this fight, calling it a bit of a quagmire – the sort that’s not exactly a catwalk for looking sharp.
Rahman’s prediction? Joshua might get the win, but Wallin’s not the guy to make you look like a million bucks in the ring.
Frank Warren’s crystal ball is a bit foggy on the when and how, but he’s betting his last pair of boxing gloves that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are going to tango in the ring afterwards. The Tyson Fury vs. Joshua shuffle, however, is still stuck in the ‘maybe’ pile.
These two have been playing a game of ‘will they, won’t they’ for ages. Instead of crossing gloves, Joshua brawled twice with Oleksandr Usyk for the title, and Fury and Wilder turned their rematch into a three-part soap opera.
Fury, still sitting pretty with his world champ belt, is eyeing a rumble with Usyk next year for the undisputed title showdown. Meanwhile, Joshua is sizing up Wilder, probably thinking, “You’re next, buddy.”
Before any of this, Joshua has to, of course, beat Otto Wallin, and Wilder needs a win against tough Joe Parker in Saudi Arabia at the ‘Day of Reckoning’
Warren, gabbing with Sky Sports, couldn’t stop hyping these matchups. “These main events aren’t just a big deal, they’re boxing’s equivalent of a spicy chili cook-off. Joshua and Wilder have to prove they’re tough enough to handle the heat. If they do, we’ll probably see them in a marquee showdown next year,” he said.
“Survive Saturday night in Riyadh, and then we can talk turkey. Everyone’s itching to make this Wilder-Joshua fight happen. As long as these guys don’t fumble on Saturday, we’re golden.”
You can watch the Day of Reckoning, featuring Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin, Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller, on DAZN PPV and TNT Sports on Saturday, December 23.
