Anthony Joshua, the British heavyweight, put on a dominant performance against Otto Wallin at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena on Sunday. The fight was stopped by Wallin’s corner in the break between the fifth and sixth rounds. With soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and former UFC champion Conor McGregor in attendance, Joshua landed jabs and straight right hands on Wallin, forcing him to circle on the outside and struggle with offense.
As a two-time unified heavyweight champion, Joshua controlled the fight from the centre of the ring, hurting Wallin in the fifth round with powerful hooks. After this, Wallin’s team informed the referee that he could not continue, leading to the fight’s stoppage. Joshua, with a record of 27 wins and three losses, expressed his delight at the result but refrained from declaring that he was back to his old self.
During an interview in the ring after the fight, Joshua stated, “I respect Otto. Throughout the whole build-up, I was telling everyone I need to focus on the man in front of me, because I respect what he’s bringing to the table.” He downplayed the fight as “not so much a throwback fight. Just another day in the office.”
The stoppage marked the first in Wallin’s professional career and only his second loss, following a defeat by Tyson Fury in September 2019. In the co-main event, New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker secured a disciplined unanimous decision win over American Deontay Wilder.
Philip O’Connor reported from Riyadh; Richard Chang edited the piece.
