Joshua Knocks Out Wallin After Five Rounds Of Heavyweight Clash

Victory handed Joshua his third win from as many bouts in 2023 after he beat Jermaine Franklin Jr. by unanimous decision in April before a seventh-round stoppage success over Robert Helenius in August.

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was too powerful for Otto Wallin to earn a technical knockout after five rounds in their non-title fight in Riyadh on Saturday.

The Briton’s controlled aggression saw him inflict the first inside-the-distance defeat of Wallin’s career, with the Swede’s corner pulling him out of action after the finish of the fifth round of a one-sided contest.

Victory handed Joshua his third win from as many bouts in 2023 after he beat Jermaine Franklin Jr. by unanimous decision in April before a seventh-round stoppage success over Robert Helenius in August.

It also took the 34-year-old Joshua’s professional record to 27 victories and three defeats.

‘Just Another Fight’
Anthony Joshua celebrates after defeating Sweden’s Otto Wallin during their heavyweight boxing battle at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on December 23, 2023. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP)

“Just another fight,” Joshua told broadcaster DAZN. “I respect Otto. Not so much a throwback fight, just another day in the office. Victory by whatever means. Like Otto, you want to do whatever it takes to be triumphant. That’s all I want to be.”

Joshua dominated straight from the opening bell, with Wallin’s nose injured in the first round by the two-time former world heavyweight champion.

And Wallin, who once went the distance with WBC champion Tyson Fury, did well to get through the fifth round after being left on unsteady legs by numerous strong blows from Joshua.

His corner then gently chose to spare him additional punishment.

Earlier on the same card, Joseph Parker, already beaten in a title fight by Joshua, defeated former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder with a unanimous points decision.