There is also the prospect of becoming a three-time world champion to motivate Joshua heading into 2024, with the heavyweight belts likely to be fragmented after Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s undisputed showdown in February. Anthony Joshua has to end 2023 by making a major statement as he headlines a huge night of heavyweight boxing against Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia tonight. Unified champion Serrano is in possession of the WBC, WBO and IBO featherweight titles, while Mahfoud holds the IBF version at 126lbs. Parker followed that up with another loss to Dillian Whyte but has rattled off six wins since then, becoming WBO Oriental and Inter-Continental champion, defeating Derek Chisora twice in the span of seven months in Manchester last year. Wallin is a durable fighter, as Fury found out, and can be expected to grow in confidence should he sense any hesitation from the other side of the ring.<\/p>\n
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With his career on the line, Joshua cannot afford to look past Wallin, but past experience should ensure that does not happen. The British fighter spent much of the build-up to his first fight with Andy Ruiz in 2019 being asked about Wilder, and duly went on to lose to the Mexican. As was the case with his two fights earlier this year, Joshua knows defeat would effectively end any hopes he has of reaching the summit of the heavyweight division again. Chief support in Manchester on Saturday comes in the form of Amanda Serrano, who will look to bounce back from her close, historic defeat by undisputed women\u2019s lightweight champion Katie Taylor at Madison Square Garden as she battles Sarah Mahfoud. A bout with Wilder is once again on the horizon, this time closer than ever before, but Joshua’s full focus must be on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
Even with the stakes so high, the hope is that Joshua can produce a more decisive, aggressive performance against Wallin. He was largely timid against Franklin and there was more of that apprehension against Helenius before an explosive finish eventually came. Daniel Dubois returns to the ring for the first time since he was beaten by OIeksandr Usyk in August as he takes on Jarrell Miller, who failed drugs tests ahead of his planned bout with Joshua in 2019. Joshua vs Wallin takes place tonight, Saturday, December 23, 2023, at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Wallin will be keen to derail all of these plans though, boosting his own world title ambitions in the process.<\/p>\n
Wilder fights Parker in a bout between two former world champions, with the winner of that leaving themselves in pole position to challenge at the top of the division next year. Joyce to win via a close split-decision tonight after a bruising, highly-entertaining heavyweight slugfest that will command the attention throughout. Bohachuk suffered a close decision defeat against Virgil Ortiz Jr while Davies lost to Josh Kelly. Both men will be looking to get back to winning ways and at the same time push themselves towards the very top of the super welterweight division. Usyk won by split decision in the first contest after having Fury in trouble late in their undisputed fight in May this year. This time all the belts aren\u2019t on the line now that Daniel Dubois holds the IBF strap but these two are still recognised as the top two heavyweights on the plant.<\/p>\n