Two of boxing’s biggest names share a show TODAY (Sat. Dec. 23, 2023) when Heavyweight icons Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder anchor a big-man “Day of Reckoning” DAZN-streamed pay-per-view (PPV) bonanza from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Both men are on the comeback trail after suffering disastrous back-to-back losses. Joshua — Heavyweight boxing’s former unified champion — looks to make it three straight against dangerous Swedish spoiler, Otto Wallin, while Wilder — WBC’s former roost-ruler — locks horns with Kiwi veteran, Joseph Parker (preview here).

Joshua and Parker reportedly struck a deal to meet on March 9, 2024, if both emerge victorious … so the stakes are high.

The PPV show also features an additional four Heavyweight bouts, as well as the latest from Cruiserweight standout, Jai Opetaia, and Light Heavyweight champion / pound-for-pound fixture, Dmitry Bivol.

Joshua wound up getting the headlining spot, so let’s see how he’ll manage in the spotlight …

Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Anthony “AJ” Joshua

Age: 34
Record: 26-3 (23 KO)
Last Five Fights: Robert Helenius (KO-7), Jermaine Franklin (UD), Oleksandr Usyk (SD Loss), Oleksandr Usyk (UD Loss), Kubrat Pulev (KO-9)
Significant Victories (other than those mentioned above): Andy Ruiz, Alexander Povetkin, Joseph Parker, Carlos Takam, Wladimir Klitschko, Dominic Breazeale, Charles Martin, Dillian Whyte

VS.

Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

Otto Wallin

Age: 33
Record: 26-1 (14 KO)
Last Five Fights: Murat Gassiev (SD), Helaman Olguin (UD), Rydell Booker (UD), Kamil Sokolowski (PTS), Dominic Breazeale (UD)
Significant Victories (other than those mentioned above): Adrian Granat

THE FIGHT

It’s rare for a fighter to have an identity crisis in his mid-30s, but Joshua’s somehow managed it. While he still has all the tools that made him one of the best big men of this generation, the gears just aren’t meshing like they used to. Though he tried to address this by linking up with respected trainer, Derrick James, after his losses to Oleksandr Usyk, back-to-back underwhelming performances against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius make it unclear whether his mojo is gone for good.

But man, I still can’t see him losing to a light-punching spoiler like Wallin.

To be clear, I greatly respect Wallin’s abilities. He’s less than three months removed from running circles around a very dangerous puncher in Murat Gassiev, showing off a level of mobility and tight technique that you just don’t see often among men his size. That said, Joshua’s beaten his fair share of very skilled fighters and nothing in Wallin’s game really elevates him above that pack.

Joshua’s technique and marvelous athleticism may not be working in sync, but the individual pieces of his arsenal are enough to earn him the win. Wallin’s boxing skill doesn’t outclass Joshua’s to the point where the power differential ceases to matter and that gap figures to shrink as the fight progresses and Joshua’s weirdly impressive gas tank shows itself. In short, Wallin builds an early lead before Joshua gets his bearings and starts consistently finding the mark on a decreasingly-mobile Wallin.

Prediction: Joshua def. Wallin via unanimous decision

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For more on “Day of Reckoning” and other boxing-related news and notes, click here.