Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder Get Opponents For December 23 Showdown

Anthony Joshua has agreed to fight Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on December 23. That same night, Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker are scheduled to square off.

On that date in Riyadh, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk were scheduled to square off in their historic undisputed heavyweight title fight.

But that date has been rescheduled for February 2024 following Fury’s brutal night against Francis Ngannou in October.

The Saudi boxing authorities have made up their minds that the show will go on, and they are putting together a fantastic evening of boxing for that night right before Christmas.

Joshua and Wilder are currently working on their contracts to finalize agreements with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority’s Turki Alalshikh, who was largely responsible for bringing Fury and Ngannou together last month.

Though Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder’s bout is slated for 2024, the heavyweight rivals will compete separately on the December card.

If those deals are completed this week, Wallin will compete against Joshua, the two-time heavyweight champion, in the main event. In his 28 professional fights, the Swedish southpaw’s lone defeat came against Fury in 2019.

Wallin gave a fantastic performance that night. He used a precisely timed right hand to open a large cut above Fury’s eye before he lost a decision.

In the co-main event, Parker would fight Wilder. The American fighter has only engaged in a bout once in the previous two years.

On the other hand, in 2023, Parker has won three straight fights. He defeated Simon Kean in three rounds last month as part of the undercard for Fury vs. Ngannou bout.