Anthony Joshua next fight: All we know about AJ's next opponent Otto Wallin with Deontay Wilder on same Saudi Arabia card
20/11/2023 12:23
Anthony Joshua is starting to climb back up the heavyweight rankings and a statement victory is exactly what he needs.
Since back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, the Brit has beaten Jermaine Franklin and knocked out Robert Helenius.
Joshua was meant to face Dillian Whyte but his fellow Londoner failed a drugs test, while a long-awaited bout against Tyson Fury has collapsed numerous times.
Anthony Joshua next fight: Is his next opponent confirmed?
Yes, Joshua’s next clash has been confirmed.
AJ is now set to battle Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on the same night as Deontay Wilder fights Joseph Parker.
The Brit last fought in August and knocked Helenius out in the seventh round, with Deontay Wilder initially being the top candidate to be his next opponent.
An agreement was reached but had to be shelved when Saudi Arabia revealed they couldn’t host it.
The pair will now be competing on one of the deepest cards in boxing history in the Gulf State although not against each other.
The hope is for them to clash in 2024, with both Joshua and Wilder showing respect to one another in the press conference.
In the meantime, Joshua will need to remain focused on Wallin, who he beat twice as an amateur, but their reunion will be a different proposition as a professional.
The Swede’s only defeat in 27 fights came as he lost on points against Tyson Fury in 2019.
However, Wallin gave the Gypsy King one of his biggest scares after he required 47 stitches and plastic surgery following the damage caused by ‘All In’.
Anthony Joshua fight: When will it happen?
This 12-round heavyweight clash is set to go ahead on Saturday, December 23.
It will take place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Timings for this event are yet to be confirmed but the undercard action is expected to start around 6pm.
And the ring-walks for the main event can be expected at around 10pm.
talkSPORT will be bang across fight week with live updates on fight night while will be running a live blog as well.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
The action will also be broadcast on DAZN PPV with pricing and other details to follow in due course.
Anthony Joshua next fight: What’s been said?
Eddie Hearn has explained to talkSPORT why Joshua came across a bit prickly during a heated press conference for the event this month.
AJ responded awkwardly to Frank Warren’s press conference host Dev Sahni – at one point refusing to answer his questions and instead asking his promoter Hearn to lead the interview.
When asked why did Joshua turn to him, Hearn told talkSPORT: “Maybe out of respect, I don’t know. Listen, I came to this party late ten days ago.
“I am happy to be here. There are going to be big fights that we are all involved with in Saudi Arabia.
“I guess for AJ, it was like ‘this is my promoter, he’s asking the question’.
“He was fine, AJ, but when Jarrell Miller started talking smack to him, he weren’t going to have it.
“Because we know what happened in that fight. I had a few words with him, was petrified a bit albeit, he’s a big lump.
“I am not mad on that fight against Daniel Dubois, in all honesty, it is a very good fight.
“There is a lot of history there, it was very painful what happened [between Joshua and Miller] and we will see what the future holds but I like what I saw from AJ and in the head-to-head with Wallin.”
