On 23rd December, Anthony Joshua is going to be taking on Otto Wallin in the Riyadh Stadium, in Saudi Arabia. Known as “The Day of Reckoning”, the fight could be the final chapter in Joshua’s quest to become a three-time heavyweight champion of the world.
The quest itself began earlier in the year when Joshua saw an excellent return to form with two wins over Jermaine Franklin and Rober Helenius. But Wallin will not be an easy task. At least, those are the thoughts of Jevgenijs Aleksejevs, who has his own fight to think about come December 22nd.
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin Fight
In a statement made a few days ago, Aleksejevs previewed his own fight against Nicolas David Veron with some words on Anthony Joshua’s next fight, and what the audience might expect from what is perhaps the biggest match-up of 2023.
The match-up of Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin has been on the cards for a while now, but with Joshua out of form for large parts of 2020 to 2022, it took his early victories in 2023 to make it a reality. Wallins, on the other hand, currently holds a 26-1 record, with his loss coming against Tyson Fury back in 2019. With Joshua holding a 26-3 record, the scales seem evenly poised, with both fighters claiming a ‘demolition job’ against the other.
Jevgenijs Aleksejevs Prediction
With the world talking, Jevgenijs ‘The Hurricane’ Aleksejevs has just added some more coal to the fire. Starting his career back in 2013, Aleksejevs is about to take on Nicolas David Veron, an up-and-coming super welter who has already attained 27.27% KOs in 23 bouts. Before previewing this tantalising match-up, Aleksejevs gave his own thoughts on the fight of the year, happening the following day.
In his words: ‘Joshua is a decent fighter. However, he had to change his coach because Derrick James, who is from the USA, could not travel to this fight. So now he has an Englishman, Ben Davison, in his corner. Joshua is a technically skilled fighter with a powerful punch. As for his fight with Wallin, the Swede showed that he could fight well. He was an underdog in his last fight against Murat Gassie v and still emerged victorious. I believe Anthony Joshua will outclass Otto Wallin’.
In a way, this prediction demonstrates the prowess of Joshua more than any other. For any other fighter, a coaching change so early before a fight could be catastrophic – one thing you need as a heavyweight is a clear strategy without too many voices inviting incoherency. Joshua, according to Aleksejevs, has the champion mindset to work past this and focus on the main goal. It’s this same mindset that Aleksejevs will be attempting to replicate in his own ring.
Who is Jevgenijs Aleksejevs?
For those unaware, Aleksejevs is a European fighter born in July 1993. With his passion for combat sports starting as early as six years old, he has now experienced a total of 51 rounds, with 14 bouts under his belt. With a KO rate of 57.14%, he has been proving himself as one of the most exciting fighters in the middle position over the last ten years. He is now sponsored by the popular betting analytics website MightyTips and represents the brand as an invaluable ambassador.
According to multiple pundits, he is one of the fastest-rising boxing stars, with the talent to take on the welterweight division and even become world champion one day. For now, his hurricane-like fighting style – so given due to his initial four triumphs coming after a KO – is igniting boxing rings across the world, with this next fight just another step on the road to world recognition.
Jevgenijs ‘The Hurricane’ Aleksejevs in training
Jevgenijs Aleksejevs vs Nicolas David Veron
The fight in question is Jevgenijs Aleksejevs vs Nicolas David Veron, taking place in Valencia, Spain, on 22nd December. Aleksejevs should feel pretty comfortable in this territory, having taken on – and beaten – French fighter Dimitri Trenel just a few months ago in the Iberian peninsula. But that’s not to say a KO – or even a win – is a given. Both Aleksejevs and his coach, Igor Mesmer, are entering this fight with a fresh, focused mindset to prevent any disaster.
On his own fight, Aleksejevs has said: ‘It is going to be a tough fight. Nicolas David Veron has a powerful punch, especially with his right arm. My ultimate goal is a title fight, for the WBC belt preferably. The International Silver, for example. To find a proper venue so that everything looks nice, and then have a go.’
Igor Mesmer has similar sentiments: ‘Jevgenijs is facing a tough and experienced fighter from Argentina. We are not expecting a walk in the park. We approach this challenge the way we approach any fight like it is a new stage in Jevgnijs’ career. We know that every next fight is the hardest one.’
With that being said, Mesmer has come up with several game plans – not just a Plan A, but a Plan B and C as well. He and his man are not taking any chances, especially in light of their goal to become belt contenders in late 2024.
Mesmer continues: ‘Everyone can expect a spectacular fight and a spectacular win for Jevgenijs Aleksejevs. I believe Jevgenijs is much stronger than Veron in every aspect, we just have to prove this. To show our strong side and expose his weaknesses. I would like Jevgenijs to have at least three fights over the next year and become a belt contender, that would be decent given his record of 14 wins, 8 KOs, and no defeats.’
With the clock ticking, both Aleksejevs and Mesmer have a lot to prove, and they are both going to hope that Valencia, Spain, holds the venue to prove it.
Anthony Joshua Bio and Career
As mentioned before, the fight between Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin is going to take place on the 23rd of December, under the stadium lights of Riyadh. If you’re looking for sports news on Anthony Joshua, but you’re a newcomer to his career, there are a few things you need to know first. Joshua is a Watford-born fighter who was first brought into the realm of boxing by his cousin, Gbenga Ileyemi, who was an ABA heavyweight champion in 2011.
Since that moment, he has had a number of wins that have put him under the global spotlight, with many comparing him to the great Tyson Fury – especially considering his comeback story after his fall against Andy Ruiz. The comeback fight itself even features in Joshua’s personal picks of his career, which include his win s against Ruiz in 2019, Martin in 2016, Klitschko in 2017, and the remarkable victory against Dillian Whyte in 2015. Anthony Joshua’s net worth is reportedly now around $80 million, and this is expected to grow even further should he achieve his goals before 2024.
Otto Wallin Bio and Career
Otto Wallin, on the other hand, was born in Sundsvall, Sweden. As a Swedish National Championship bronze and silver medalist – and four-time amateur gold medalist – his career has been watched with great interest around the world, and this next fight is sure to be his biggest yet.
Having turned pro in 2013, won the WBA Continental heavyweight title in 2017, and then the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title in 2023, he presents a huge challenge for Joshua, who will be desperate to avoid another defeat like the one against Andy Ruiz Jr. Whether he’s got what it takes, however, remains to be seen. He was defeated by Tyson Fury, and if Joshua is seen in the same leagues as Fury, then fate would have it that this fight could result in another L on Wallin’s scorecard. Like the Aleksejevs fight, we’re all just going to have to tune in and find out!
