This content is protected Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KOs), WBA and IBF #5 contender, says he is ready to challenge Anthony Joshua for the heavyweight title on June 1st in Madison Square Garden. The undefeated Swedish heavyweight is confident he will follow in the footsteps of countryman Ingemar Johansson. Exactly 60 years ago in June of 1959, Johansson took New York by storm when he knocked out Floyd Patterson to take the heavyweight title back to Sweden. Wallin, 28, is in peak condition, having just fought last Saturday night on Showtime. That fight ended in a No Decision after the 1st round due to a cut above his opponent’s eye. Otto is ready to return to the ring immediately. “I feel great and am ready to go,” said Wallin. “I would love for it to be against Anthony Joshua.” “Ottomatic” has a history with Joshua. They fought twice in the amateurs and then sparred 200 rounds as Joshua prepared for his title-winning fight against Charles Martin. “Some of Joshua’s people told me not to unpack my bags because I wouldn’t be staying long,” explained Wallin. He answered their doubts with his fists and spent seven weeks in camp as Joshua’s chief sparring partner. “AJ came to learn that I’m nobody’s sparring partner,” Wallin said. “I think he felt that we would one day meet again – not in a spar but a fight. “I gave him problems. We were a real test for each other. But Anthony has character and I believe he welcomes a challenge. “AJ, tell Eddie Hearn that Ottomatic is the guy you want facing you on June 1, not Michael Hunter.” No final decision has been made regarding Joshua’s next opponent but Wallin stands ready to play the spoiler. ''And one man who knows more about the Swede is Joshua himself, with the duo having fought twice in the amateurs. Wallin lost to Joshua on two separate occasions before joining the paid ranks, with their final fight in 2010 proving to be significant. Fury claimed his second win over Wallin at the International Amateur Boxing Tournament via a points decision and joined the GB squad shortly after. But the 28-year-old clearly made an impression on Joshua, who drafted the southpaw in as a sparring partner before his IBF world heavyweight title fight in 2016.''
Like he "cruised" to a decision vs. Parker or was KTFO by Pov? Or do you think Parker >> Wallin? I think it's a tough fight to call, maybe 50-50.
I really don't know enough about Wallin at this level to make an accurate prediction. His workrate and size will always make him an awkward task for a lot of heavyweights but Whyte's been in against much more proven competition barring Fury and prevailed against a much greater range of styles so right now I'd have to pick him. If Wallin can take a punch then I'd pick Whyte by scrappy decision where the majority of the rounds he wins are done so by simply landing the harder punches in between Wallin's constant jabbing and arm punching. If he can't take a punch then Whyte catches him with something big, I'm actually thinking a bodyshot for some reason, and takes him out. Best scenario right now is Whyte by decision where he drops Wallin a couple of times but is kept at bay by Wallin's wrorate for long enough stretches that Wallin makes it to the final bell. But this is very much subject to change if Wallin proves himself a better fighter than I currently give him credit for.
Yeah, weirdly I think the same thing. I think it's due to the fact that he clearly looked uncomfortable when Fury started banging away to his midsection, and he has one of those long torsos and shortish arms that makes it difficult to defend the midsection too effectively.
I think Whyte by decision. Whyte has been dropped, seriously hurt or stopped in 4 out of his last 5 fights. But Wallin isn’t a big puncher and doesn’t have the skill to put Whyte under serious pressure. I think Whyte would win this comfortably by decision. But he is fighting above this level (Wallin level) at the moment. However with his recent punch resistance issues he may drop down to fighting at Wallin’s level. If gets stopped again by Povetkin in the rematch then I will reconsider this pick.
I agree Wallin isn’t all that. The cut changed the fight and Fury came into the fight with the wrong mindset. He was expecting an easy fight and then had to adjust to a dog fight with a bad cut. If you watch Wallins other fights you will see he is nowhere near Whyte’s level. The only equaliser at this point is that Whyte has late career punch resistance issues. If he has completely lost the ability to take a punch, then he could lose to someone like Wallin at a stretch. But I think this is a few fights and more punishment away from being a reality.
Only if you KO world class opposition that makes you heavy handed? I think it’s evident he is heavy handed from watching him. He did hurt Joshua, he dropped Povetkin twice. He iced a big man in Lucas Browne. He stopped the durable Chisora. He has power. Wallin could beat him but I need to see more from him.
A few people have wobbled Joshua and Dave Allen flattened Browne. I'm not disputing he has a little bit of power but he's stopped Chisora once in two fights out of about 8 fights vs top opponents. He has a poor gas tank at this level and is blowing after 6, I think he would be with Wallin's pace. I don't see anything suggesting he has too much for Wallin at all. One of my mates was at the amateur fight between Joshua and Wallin in the amateurs and said it was very competitive. Time will tell but Wallin is a better operator in my opinion. There's as much chance of a Wallin stoppage as there is a Whyte stoppage.
