Izuchukwu OkosiAnglo-Nigerian former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is billed to face off with Swede boxer Otto Wallin in a much anticipated fight as he seeks to retrace his steps back to the pinnacle of boxing heights.
Prime Business Africa’s Izuchukwu Okosi looks at the consequences of an ‘unexpected’ outcome from a Nigerian perspective.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelFormer world heavyweight champion in the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO categories, Anthony Joshua, will face Otto Wallin early Sunday morning in Nigeria in a heavyweight contest in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and has sensationally declared that he has no future in the game if he loses to the Swede.
Joshua had lost his belts in all the heavyweight class and has even subsequently suffered a significant decline in his endorsement deals.
London 2012 Olympics gold medallist for Great Britain, Joshua, was expected to fight Tyson Fury but an agreement was never reached and the great fight on prospect will seemingly not see the light of day.
On 17 February 2024, Fury will however fight Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk who last defeated the British-Nigerian also in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis are working assiduously to making the Gulf nation the sporting place of excellence although the world is still keen to know how the human rights issues hanging on the government’s neck will turn out.
Joshua is once again talking tough but needs to walk the talk or (forever) be considered an also-ran in the heavyweight boxing divisions as his days of supremacy is now a distant memory.
“My heart, my soul, every cell in my body is fully focused towards Otto Wallin and doing what I know I can do,” the 34-year-old Briton, told boxing journalists at the press conference heralding his grudge bout with Wallin.
Joshua is fighting in the same bill as Deontay Wilder who was also a former WBC champion.
“I know where I’m going in my life. But I’ve also got to say, this is the checkpoint and if I don’t get past this, there is no future.
“So I’m fully locked into Otto Wallin and doing the job,” Joshua
Joshua has meticulously prepared for this fight. He has secured the services of Ben Davison, who coached Fury to a points victory over Wallin in 2019 as one of his coaches.
Wallin has been on a six-fight winning streak but Joshua himself has woken from his slumber and had won two fights in succession.
Joshua had always been flamboyant in his approach but in recent times has been more methodical. He has elected to be less flashy but more patient and has better control over his jabs.
The fight called the ‘day of reckoning’ in boxing circles is eagerly anticipated by Nigerians both at home and in diaspora.
Joshua represents the UK in professional boxing but is Nigerian through and through whose parents originate from Shagamu, Ogun state.
Most Nigerians are sceptical about Joshua squaring off against Tyson Fury in 2024 or thereabout. They believe that being the face of many brands will fetch him sufficient money and clout therefore should quit being a pugilist of he loses this fight.
Wallin is bullish that he can cause ‘AJ’ so muxh troubles in an interview he granted a foreign media organization.
“I would say he is still one of the best heavyweights out there, and he’s made an amazing career for himself.
“There has been a decline, and I think he has reached his peak already.
“I think he is mentally fragile, he’s not sure of himself. He’s changed trainer, and I think things can be very tough for him. People are very critical of him, he’s got a lot of pressure. So, I think that weighs on him.
“I think it’s the perfect time to face AJ. He was a seek-and-destroy kind of guy, he was very aggressive. When he first started, he had a short amateur career. He was knocking people out. Turned pro, knocking everybody out. Knocked [Wladimir] Klitschko out, and I think he felt invincible pretty much.
Joshua will need to make a big statement in this fight otherwise it could be a long road to an unexpected retirement from the squared ropes.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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