Wallin next for Joshua?

[WelshDevilRob]

Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) vs Otto Wallin (24-1, 14 Kos) is being muted as a fight in December.

Sweden's Wallin, 31, holds a top 10 ranking with all organisations apart from the WBA. His only loss was against Tyson Fury, over 12-rounds. Otto has won his last four bouts including wins over Travis Kauffman, Dominic Breazeale and Rydell Booker. He's a former EBU European Heavyweight champion, having beaten Adrian Granat for the title.

England's Joshua, 32, is coming off two losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Both fights went 12-rounds. Joshua's last win was in 2020, a KO of Kubrat Pulev. Anthony has, also, beaten Dominic Breazeale - a common opponent.

How do you see this one going and is it a good opponent for Joshua's comeback?

[Ledhed1]

This is indeed a sensible opponent for AJ to being rehabbing his career. He certainly has the skills to handle Wallin. Wallin proved himself to be no joke the way he competed with Fury. The big hurdle for AJ will be motivation and how high he'll be spiritually going into his next fight, indeed the next phase of his career. He's been to the mountaintop and been taken down. Is he prepared to start over and retrace the same steps on the ladder to return to the top? He'll need to summon the fire he had going back to fights like Charles Martin and Wlad. He'll say all the right things in the leadup to his next fight - they all do - but we'll only know on fight night whether it's truly there. But this certainly makes more sense than jumping straight into the ring with the likes of Fury.

[Cableaddict]

An excellent matchup all around.   I like it!

 

Wallin is fast & slick but not a huge puncher,  so a great test for AJ.

AJ still has the name, and isn't as dangerous as Wilder, so an obvious choice for Wallin,  short of a Fury rematch.

And a good clash of styles,  with 2 fighters who will need to leave it all in the ring, so great for the fans.

[robprosser]

Good match up. Joshua needs to be active. If he's going to challenge for the titles again he needs to fight every 4 months.

[LondonRingRules]

--- AJ gonna rub Blubber fat mug in it when he easily dispatches Wallin'. Certainly of all Blubber opponents, Wailin' Wallin' can make the case stopping Fury who looked like a lamb led to slaughter.

[lamarclark09]

Interesting match between both of us. Anthony Joshua is the best boxer. Joshua is ranked as the world's second-best active heavyweight by BoxRec. I think Anthony beat the Otto Wallin. 

[Cableaddict]

I give Wallin 70-30 to beat AJ.

 

Wallin is VASTLY underrated, just because he lost to Fury. -  And in a fight where he gave Fury a really hard time, no less.

 

Like I wrote before, Wallin is much more skilled than AJ,  but seemingly doesn't quite have AJ's 1-punch power.  Wallin also has occasional holes in his defense,  which Fury capitalized on and which AJ might as well, since AJ won't be too worried about Wallin's power.

 

Interesting fight.   Pretty ballsy on AJ's part I must admit.

[Cableaddict]

Wallin is also the opponent that makes the most sense,  if AJ is looking down the road at Usyk:

 

Like Usyk,  Wallin is a southpaw,  more of a boxer than a puncher, fairly light for a HW, and has a 78" reach.