Wallin Warns Joshua As He Promises To Spoil The Wilder Plans – ‘They Made A Mistake’

Otto Wallin has vowed to prove Anthony Joshua wrong when they face off in their clash on December 23rd, 2023.
The two boxers headline the ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in Saudi Arabia. The narrative coming into the fight is that a win for Joshua takes him a step closer to facing Deontay Wilder. Reports indicate Joshua and Wilder have a deal for March 9th, 2024. Wallin is no mean feat, though.
The southpaw only has one loss on his record. A unanimous decision defeat to Tyson Fury did not tell the whole story. The Swede took Fury to the trenches as the fight should arguably have been stopped after Fury had a massive eye above his eye, thus giving Wallin the win. Since then, Wallin has won six in a row as he seeks to cause an upset.
Wallin On AJ
“They obviously made a mistake. We sparred in 2016 when he was going to fight Charles Martin. He knows I’m a good fighter, and I have good will and a lot of hunger. So, I’m sure he’s not looking past me. He knows this is going to be a tough fight from the sparring and being around each other.
“I think he knows that. People keep asking me about that fight [Joshua vs. Wilder], which is supposed to be on March 9th, which is two and a half months away. I can tell everyone that fight is not going to happen. I’m sorry. I know people want to see that fight, but they made a mistake here,” Wallin said
There have been question marks over Joshua’s mentality heading into the fight. During the kick-off presser, Joshua exchanged words with Jarrell Miller after the American accused him of ducking Wilder.
Joshua’s Mentality
That was followed up by another altercation with Miller when both men arrived in Saudi.
Then, when it came to the face-off with Wallin, Joshua appeared rattled compared to a composed Wallin, who was happy to fight on such a mega card.
This has suggested that Joshua is not the same fighter as the one who became the unified heavyweight champion. The loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. showed a more cautious Joshua, who chose to fight behind his jab rather than let go with explosive combinations. This is particularly true since he has had numerous trainers of late to try and refine his styles, including Robert Garcia, Derrick James and now Ben Davidson. Wallin was clear that AJ lost his confidence.
“I think he’s lost his confidence and momentum. You can see the decline. Usyk was ultimately just a better fighter, but Joshua looks unsure of himself. In the beginning, when I fought him, he was a seek and destroy kind of guy, but now he’s afraid of getting hit and of losing. He’s aware of his vulnerabilities and it’s holding him back. The timing is right for me now,” Wallin stated
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