December 24, (THEWILL) – Anthony Joshua scored an impressive fifth-round TKO victory over Otto Wallin on Saturday night at the Diriyah Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, forcing the Swedish heavyweight into retirement on his stool after five one-sided rounds.
Fighting for the third time in 2023, Joshua was looking to build momentum towards a potential all-British heavyweight title showdown later this year. He provided a dominant performance, outboxing Wallin from the opening bell and gradually breaking down the gritty 32-year-old over the course of the fight.
By the fifth round, Wallin had no answers for Joshua’s crisp punching and power shots. Badly bloodied and bruised, the Swede failed to come out for the sixth round, calling time on a brave but ultimately one-sided beating. Joshua improved his record to 25-3 with his second stoppage win of the year.
Attention now turns to potential megafights with Joseph Parker, who beat Deontay Wilder, in 2024, with the winner likely earning a shot at the undisputed heavyweight championship. For Joshua, this dominant win will go a long way towards rebuilding his status as one of the top heavyweights in boxing after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
At 33 years of age, the former heavyweight champion proved he still has plenty left in the tank. With his sights set on becoming a three-time heavyweight king, the division has been put on notice.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
