On an early Sunday morning in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua looked as good as he has in years. Even with a potential fight with Deontay Wilder dashed earlier in the event, Joshua delivered a masterful performance in a TKO victory over Otto Wallin.
While Joshua did his part in dispatching Wallin via TKO, a monkey wrench was thrown into the plans.
Unfortunately for boxing fans, Wilder failed to hold up his end of the bargain with a loss to Joseph Parker in the co-main event.
Joshua looked every bit the part of a devastating boxer-puncher. He changed levels, befuddling Wallin at every second of the fight while it lasted.
A cracking right-left combination nearly dropped Wallin. The latter survived that 2-punch delivery, but his corner man and trainer, Joey Gamache, called an end to the bout on the stool.
For perspective, Gamache is a former fighter seriously injured in the ring in a brutal loss to Arturo Gatti in 2000. That may not have played a role in Gamache and the corner’s decision to pull the plug, but it’s worth noting.
Wallin’s nose may have been broken, and it is possible he had some severe damage coming in the next couple of rounds had the fight not been stopped.
With Joshua winning and Wilder losing, the talk switched to Filip Hrgovic sliding into the latter’s spot on the March card. Hrgovic destroyed Mark De Mori earlier on the card, a much bigger win than most expected.
Joshua still wants to become a three-time champion at some point, but it appears he is in line for big-money non-title fights in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight for the undisputed heavyweight title in February.
Joshua has lost to Usyk twice but has never faced Fury. Because of the dynamic, the path to one of the four titles those men hold is complicated.
Joshua is still just 34. If he wants to fight into his late thirties and continues to win, his world championship opportunity will come around again.
