In a thrilling night of heavyweight boxing in Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua delivered a stellar performance, securing victory over Otto Wallin within the distance.
However, the highly anticipated clash between Joshua and Deontay Wilder took an unexpected turn as Wilder succumbed to a surprising points loss against Joseph Parker on the same bill.
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Briton Joshua boxed magnificently, dominating Wallin before the Swede’s corner decided to withdraw him from the fight after the fifth round.
Earlier in the night, American Wilder appeared a mere shadow of himself in Riyadh, admitting that all the talk of a fight at least five years in the making had been “a distraction.”
The eighth round proved critical for Wilder, as New Zealander Joseph Parker landed significant blows, ultimately earning a unanimous decision victory.
Parker, a former world champion himself, secured the judges’ favour with scores of 118-111, 118-110, and 120-108.
The unexpected outcome of Wilder’s match threw a wrench into the plans for the highly anticipated Joshua-Wilder bout, which Saudi organizers had tentatively scheduled for the upcoming year.
Although no official contract had been signed, it was widely expected that the two fighters would announce a deal post-fight for a showdown in early 2024.
Joshua, reflecting on his triumph over Wallin, stated, “I put in a terrific performance tonight. I was focused on my game plan, and it paid off. Wallin is a tough opponent, but I felt in control from the start.”
Despite Joshua doing his part to set the stage for the mega-fight, Wilder’s unexpected loss added an element of uncertainty to the heavyweight landscape.
Wilder acknowledged that the prolonged discussions about the matchup had been a significant “distraction,” and it remains to be seen how this development will impact the prospects of a Joshua-Wilder showdown.
