Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin

The Day of Reckoning, was the billing of a professional boxing event. While the fight card consists of eight fights, two heavyweight fights serve as co-main events. The first, Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin was contested between English former WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Swedish WBA inter-continental heavyweight champion Otto Wallin. The second, Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker, was contested between American former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and New Zealand IBF and WBO inter-continental heavyweight champion Joseph Parker.

Day of Reckoning: Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin

Date	23 December 2023
Venue	Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Tale of the tape
Boxer Anthony Joshua Otto Wallin Nickname "AJ" "All In" Hometown Watford, Hertfordshire, UK Sundsvall, Västernorrland, Sweden Pre-fight record 26–3 (23 KO) 26–2 (1) (14 KOs) Age 34 years, 2 months 33 years, 1 month Height 6 ft 6 in (198 cm)^[1] 6 ft 5+1⁄2 in (197 cm)^[2] Weight 251 lb (114 kg) 238.6 lb (108 kg) Style Orthodox Southpaw Recognition WBO No. 1 Ranked Heavyweight WBC No. 2 Ranked Heavyweight WBA/IBF No. 3 Ranked Heavyweight Former 2 time unified heavyweight champion IBF No. 2 Ranked Heavyweight WBC No. 9 Ranked Heavyweight WBO No. 12 Ranked Heavyweight WBA inter-continental heavyweight champion
Result
Joshua defeated Wallin via 6th-round corner retirement

Day of Reckoning: Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker

Title(s) on the line	WBO Inter-Continental and vacant WBC International heavyweight titles
Tale of the tape
Boxer Deontay Wilder Joseph Parker Nickname "The Bronze Bomber" "Lupesoliai La'auliolemalietoa" Hometown Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. Auckland, Auckland Region, New Zealand Pre-fight record 43–2–1 (42 KO) 33–3 (23 KOs) Age 38 years, 2 months 31 years, 11 months Height 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) Weight 214 lb (97 kg) 241+1⁄4 lb (109 kg) Style Orthodox Orthodox Recognition WBC/WBA No. 1 Ranked Heavyweight WBO No. 9 Ranked Heavyweight Former WBC heavyweight champion WBO No. 3 Ranked Heavyweight IBF No. 4 Ranked Heavyweight WBC No. 9 Ranked Heavyweight WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight champion Former WBO heavyweight champion
Result
Parker defeated Wilder via UD

The event took place on 23 December 2023 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background and build up

 

 

 

 

Anthony Joshua (top left), Otto Wallin (top right), Deontay Wilder (bottom left) and Joseph Parker (bottom right)

In October 2023, it was reported that a bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk was being targeted for 23 December in Saudi Arabia with Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder serving as the co-feature.^[3]

On 25 October, it was announced that Fury and Uysk was signed for 23 December.^[4] On 27 October, Fury fought and defeated former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou which resulted in the bout with Usyk to be postponed due to the injuries Fury sustained.^[5]

On 11 November, reports began to state that Joshua and Wilder could be fighting on the same card on 23 December.^[6] On 15 November, it was officially announced that Joshua would face Otto Wallin and Wilder would face Joseph Parker on 23 December in Riyadh with a launch press conference in London.^[7]

The bill featured the number one ranked heavyweight contenders from all four main boxing sanctioning bodies Deontay Wilder (WBC/WBA), Filip Hrgović (IBF) and Anthony Joshua (WBO).

The fights

Undercard

Former world title challenger Daniel Dubois (WBC:14th WBA:7th IBF/WBO:8th) scored a dramatic stoppage of previously undefeated Jarrell Miller (WBA:6th) with only 10 seconds left in the final round.^[8] WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Dmitry Bivol won a wide points victory over IBO titleholder (and WBA No. 8 ranked) Lyndon Arthur.

Wilder vs Parker

Wilder entered the ring having boxed just three minutes in the past two years, whereas Parker had fought three times already in 2023. Parker came forward with bursts and was generally the busier and more accurate boxer. At the end of 8th round an overhand right from Parker put Wilder in trouble before he was saved by the bell. Wilder failed to trouble Parker throughout the rest of the bout and after 12 rounds two of judges scored it 118-110 and the third 120-108 all for Joseph Parker.

Speaking to TNT Sports in the aftermath Eddie Hearn said "Wilder had no idea, no clue. He lost every round. He had his hand up telling the referees he won the fight. He's not right. That's the reality. It was the most one-sided heavyweight fight I've ever seen. It's ruined our plans. We've got to go let Anthony Joshua know Wilder lost to Parker."

Joshua vs Wallin

Joshua put on a dominant performance in his first bout with new trainer Ben Davidson. He hurt Wallin with a hard left hook in the 5th, leading to Wallin's corner to put him out in-between rounds.^[9]

Aftermath

With Wilder's one sided defeat, plans for a showdown with Joshua were dropped and speculation moved towards a bout with either Filip Hrgović or Zhilei Zhang.^[10]

Fight card

Weight class		vs		Method	Round	Time	Notes
Main Card (PPV)
Heavyweight	Anthony Joshua	def.	Otto Wallin	RTD	5 (12)	3:00
Heavyweight	Joseph Parker	def.	Deontay Wilder	UD	12
Light heavyweight	Dmitry Bivol	def.	Lyndon Arthur	UD	12		^Note 1
Heavyweight	Daniel Dubois	def.	Jarrell Miller	TKO	10 (10)	2:52
Heavyweight	Agit Kabayel	def.	Arslanbek Makhmudov	TKO	4 (10)	2:03
Cruiserweight	Jai Opetaia	def.	Ellis Zorro	KO	1 (12)	2:56
Heavyweight	Filip Hrgović	def.	Mark de Mori	TKO	1 (10)	1:46
Heavyweight	Frank Sánchez	def.	Junior Fa	TKO	7 (10)	2:42

^Note 1 For WBA and IBO World light heavyweight titles

Broadcasting

The event was available on PPV, via DAZN globally (including UK and Ireland).

In the UK and Ireland, the PPV was also available on TNT Sports Box Office.

References

1. "BoxRec: Anthony Joshua". BoxRec. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
2. "BoxRec: Otto Wallin". BoxRec. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
3. Ellis, Jordan (23 October 2023). "'They want a mega card' – Anthony Joshua claims he could fight Deontay Wilder on same night as Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk in April". talkSport.
4. Sessions, George (25 October 2023). "Tyson Fury reveals December date for Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight title fight". The Independent.
5. Majendie, Matt (30 October 2023). "Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk showdown DELAYED after punishing Francis Ngannou fight". Evening Standard.
6. "Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua could fight on same card in Saudi Arabia on December 23". Sky News. 11 November 2023.
7. "Anthony Joshua returns against Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder faces Joseph Parker on same bill in Saudi Arabia". Sky News. 15 November 2023.
8. Kal Sajad (23 December 2023). "Daniel Dubois v Jarrell Miller: Briton reignites career with last-gasp stoppage win in Saudi Arabia". bbc.co.uk. Kingdom Arena, Riyadh: BBC. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
9. Kal Sajad (24 December 2023). "Anthony Joshua beats Otto Wallin in Saudi but Deontay Wilder suffers shock loss to Joseph Parker". bbc.co.uk. Kingdom Arena, Riyadh: BBC. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
10. Coral Barry; Kal Sajad (24 December 2023). "Anthony Joshua v Deontay Wilder fight slips away again but Briton emerges as biggest winner". bbc.co.uk/. BBC. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

Preceded by vs. Robert Helenius	Anthony Joshua' bouts 23 December 2023	Succeeded by vs. Francis Ngannou
Preceded by vs. Murat Gassiev	Otto Wallin's bouts 23 December 2023	Succeeded by TBA

Preceded by vs. Robert Helenius	Deontay Wilder' bouts 23 December 2023	Succeeded by vs. Zhilei Zhang
Preceded by vs. Simon Kean	Joseph Parker's bouts 23 December 2023	Succeeded by vs. Zhilei Zhang