Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker officially confirmed for Christmas boxing extravaganza

15/11/2023 19:00

Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will fight on the same card on December 23, it has now been confirmed.

However, the heavyweight rivals are not going to be facing one another.

Joshua will fight Otto Wallin while Wilder will clash with Joseph Parker, with the hope being for the winners to meet in 2024.

After the already-signed Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk undisputed fight had to be pushed back from December 23 due to Fury’s tough ten-rounder with Francis Ngannou, boxing chiefs in Saudi Arabia decided to push ahead with a different show on that date.

It will now play host to AJ and Wilder as a result, while Fury vs Usyk remains in the plans for late February, meaning fans are in for a mammoth few months of heavyweight boxing.

Joshua’s opponent Wallin is a talented Swedish heavyweight who is coming off of an impressive win over Murat Gassiev and previously gave Fury a tough fight in his only loss to date.

Meanwhile, AJ himself has been active since his defeats to Usyk, setting himself a goal of three fights in 2023, which he looks set to complete after already beating Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.

Wilder’s opponent Parker is the former WBO heavyweight world champion from New Zealand, who was dethroned by Joshua in 2018 and subsequently lost to Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce, but remains a solid contender.

The American KO king is looking to return to action, having not fought since flattening Helenius in October 2022.

It’s hoped that Joshua and Wilder fighting on the same card will finally set up a fight between them in 2024.

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If this does come to fruition, it would be seven years after they initially began discussions.

Back when they first tried to agree a deal in 2017 and 2018, the pair were heavyweight world champions and would have met in an undisputed showdown.

Now, both have lost their titles, but the fight remains a massive attraction.

Representatives for Joshua and Wilder in fact agreed terms over the summer for a fight in Saudi Arabia this December.

However, this fell through following a switch in the landscape of boxing in Saudi, with the new entity in charge – headed up by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh – instead prioritising Fury vs Usyk.

The undisputed heavyweight world title fight remains Saudi Arabia’s priority for February.

But first, Joshua and Wilder will take to the stage on December 23, potentially lining up a super fight next year.

Also on the Christmas boxing extravaganza card in Riyadh, two world champions will defend their belts alongside additional heavyweight action.

Dmitry Bivol will stake his WBA light-heavyweight crown against Lyndon Arthur and Jai Opetaia will put his IBF cruiserweight belt on the line against Ellis Zorro.

Daniel Dubois will face Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic will face Mark De Mori, Arslanbek Makhmudov will face Agit Kabayel and Frank Sanchez will face Junior Fa.