In the headline event of the “Day of Reckoning” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua clinched his third victory of 2023, achieving a technical knockout against Otto Wallin.
After triumphing over Jermaine Franklin in April and delivering a seventh-round knockout against Robert Helenius in August, Joshua added another win to his record with a fifth-round TKO against Wallin. Wallin, known for his southpaw stance, was anticipated to pose a significant challenge.
Wallin’s only previous defeat came in 2019 against Tyson Fury, sandwiched between Fury’s encounters with Deontay Wilder. While Fury won by unanimous decision, the Swedish heavyweight made the night tougher than expected for the lineal champion.
Anthony Joshua now boasts an impressive record of 27 victories and three losses, with 24 knockout wins. Deontay Wilder suffered a unanimous decision loss to former WBO heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker in the bout preceding Joshua’s.
Joey Garnache, Wallin’s coach, decided to stop the fight to prevent his fighter from enduring further punishment.
Joshua’s performance was commendable, and after the fight, he conveyed to his former rival Andy Ruiz, “I’m back, I’m back.”