Joshua faces Wallin on December 23 in Riyadh, with both fights setting up potential Wilder-Joshua matchup if victors emerge. Wallin previously took Tyson Fury the distance and fights southpaw, a stance Joshua has historically struggled against.
Wilder warns Joshua could face 'big trouble' if distracted by Wallin bout
If he goes in there thinking about what's next, he might find himself in big trouble
Mark
So Wilder is essentially saying Joshua's biggest opponent on December 23 might be himself?
Mimi
That's the read, yes. Wallin is a real fighter—he hurt Fury badly—but Wilder's point is that Joshua's mental state matters more than Wallin's resume. If Joshua is thinking about fighting Wilder next, he's not fully present.
Luke
But we should be careful here. Wilder is saying what he believes will happen, not what he knows will happen. He doesn't have access to Joshua's mind. And Wallin being a "tough test" is one thing; the idea that Joshua could lose because of distraction is speculation.
Mimi
Fair. But it's not baseless speculation. Fighters do get caught looking ahead. It's a real phenomenon in boxing.
Mark
Does Wallin actually pose a legitimate threat, or is Wilder just being diplomatic?
Mimi
Wallin took Fury to twelve rounds and opened a cut that nearly ended the fight. He fights southpaw, which Joshua has struggled with historically. So yes, there's a real technical matchup there.
Luke
But Joshua is also significantly more experienced and accomplished than Wallin. The oddsmakers have Joshua as a heavy favorite for a reason. Wilder's warning is about psychology, not about Wallin being a better fighter.
Mark
So if Joshua wins, does that prove Wilder's point about mentality?
Luke
Not really. Joshua winning would be the expected outcome. We'd only know Wilder was right if Joshua had lost and it turned out he was distracted. Otherwise, it's just the favorite doing what favorites do.
Mimi
True, but that's the nature of these kinds of warnings. You can't prove them unless they fail. The value is in the reminder itself.
Le Pouls
- Joshua faces Wallin on December 23 in Saudi Arabia
- Wilder fights Joseph Parker on the same card
- Wallin previously took Tyson Fury the distance and fights southpaw
- A Wilder-Joshua matchup is expected if both fighters win
Joshua faces Wallin on December 23 in Riyadh, with both fights setting up potential Wilder-Joshua matchup if victors emerge. Wallin previously took Tyson Fury the distance and fights southpaw, a stance Joshua has historically struggled against.
Deontay Wilder backs Anthony Joshua to defeat Otto Wallin on December 23 in Saudi Arabia, but warns that mental focus is critical to avoid an upset.
Deontay Wilder has a message for Anthony Joshua ahead of their scheduled collision: stay present. On December 23 in Saudi Arabia, Joshua will face Otto Wallin on the same card where Wilder takes on Joseph Parker, the former WBO heavyweight champion. If both men win, the expectation is they will meet next—a fight the boxing world has been waiting for. But Wilder is warning that Joshua cannot afford to let that future matchup occupy his mind when he steps into the ring against Wallin.
Wallin is not a straightforward opponent. The Swedish fighter took Tyson Fury the distance in their 2018 bout, opening a severe cut above Fury's eye in the process. He fights from a southpaw stance, a positioning that has historically given Joshua trouble throughout his career. On paper, Joshua should win. But Wilder knows that paper does not determine outcomes—focus does.
"I think Joshua, I see him winning this fight if his mind is in the right place," Wilder told talkSPORT. The American heavyweight laid out the conditions plainly: Joshua needs to enter the ring with self-confidence, with the will to win, with the intention to execute his game plan and finish the job. Those are the ingredients for victory. The alternative is far grimmer. "If he goes in there thinking about what's next, especially when it's pertaining to me or any other thing outside of that then he might be finding himself in some big trouble," Wilder said.
This is the trap that catches fighters. The mind wanders to the next fight, the bigger stage, the opponent waiting in the wings. A fraction of attention diverts from the man across the ring. Wallin, despite being positioned as a stepping stone, becomes dangerous in that moment. Wilder has seen it happen. He has been the beneficiary of it. He knows the cost.
Wilder expressed confidence that Joshua will emerge victorious if his mentality holds. "On the day of the fight we'll find out, but I do have him winning that fight and hopefully everything serves its purpose right and he does come out and win," he said. The phrasing is deliberate—"serves its purpose." Wilder is thinking beyond December 23. He is thinking about what comes after, about the two of them meeting, about the great things that could follow if both men dispatch their opponents and move forward intact.
The December 23 card in Riyadh, branded "Day of Reckoning" as part of the Riyadh Season, is designed as a launching pad. Two heavyweight fights, two potential victors, one anticipated collision. But first, Joshua must navigate Wallin without distraction. Wilder's warning is not pessimism—it is the voice of experience. He knows what Joshua is capable of. He also knows what a wandering mind can cost.
Citations marquantes
I think Joshua, I see him winning this fight if his mind is in the right place. If he goes in there thinking about what's next, especially when it's pertaining to me or any other thing outside of that then he might be finding himself in some big trouble.— Deontay Wilder
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