ANTHONY Joshua has won his third fight of 2023 with a TKO victory over Otto Wallin in the main event of the “Day of Reckoning” card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
After securing consecutive victories over Jermaine Franklin in April and Robert Helenius with a seventh-round knockout in August, Joshua cruised to a fifth-round technical knockout win over Wallin, who had been expected to be a formidable opponent, especially with his southpaw stance.
The only defeat on Wallin’s record before Joshua came in 2019 against Tyson Fury, in between the Gypsy King’s first and second meetings with Wilder. Fury won by unanimous decision but the Swedish heavyweight certainly made it a harder night than expected for the lineal champ.
Joshua now holds an impressive record of 27 victories and three losses, with 24 knockout wins.
Deontay Wilder lost to former WBO heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker by unanimous decision in the fight before Joshua’s.
Wallin’s coach, Joey Garnache, stopped the fight as he didn’t want to his man suffer any more punishment.
It was a tremendous performance from the two-time heavyweight champion, who told his former rival Andy Ruiz after the fight, “I’m back, I’m back.”
