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While we were all expecting a Fury v Usyk clash on December 23, the ‘Day of Reckoning’ has instead arrived for both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, as the two big-name heavyweights share a top billing in what should be two fantastic fights in Saudi Arabia.
It’s going to be one of the shows of the year as Joshua meets Otto Wallin, while the Bronze Bomber takes on Joseph Parker, both of whom are looking to resurrect their careers and secure that big title fight for 2024.
With a stellar undercard, it’s Christmas come early for fight fans around the world.
When is Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin & Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker? Date and start time
Some of the world’s biggest stars will land in Riyadh on Saturday December 23, 2023, with a great card of action that’s increasingly making Saudi Arabia the home of big fight boxing.
Taking place at the Kingdom Arena, Joshua v Wallin will be a co-main event alongside Wilder v Parker, with Joshua’s the headline fight with ringwalks at around 11pm UK time. Therefore you can perhaps estimate Wilder to head to the ring around an hour or so before.
Timings are still to be confirmed, but the night itself is expected to kick off from around 6pm.
How to watch and live stream Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin & Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker
Full details have yet to be confirmed, but the ‘Day of Reckoning’ full card will be available to watch on DAZN in both the UK and USA, with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing having a broadcast deal with the online streaming service.
A subscription to DAZN costs £19.99 ($24.99) per month on a flexible basis (although cheaper options are available for a 12-month commitment), which you will need to watch the fight. However, it’s expected that at least the main events will also require a PPV purchase alongside this. Full details will be confirmed over the coming weeks.
‘Day of Reckoning’ full fight card
It’s a huge night of boxing in Riyadh, with plenty more on offer than just the two big headline events. Daniel Dubois is also on the undercard, taking on Jarrell Miller, while there are title fights in Dmitry Bivol v Lyndon Arthur and Jai Opetaia against Ellis Zorro.
The full fight card is as follows:
- Co-main event: Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin
- Co-main event: Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker
- Daniel Dubois v Jarrell Miller
- Dmitry Bivol v Lyndon Arthur
- Jai Opetaia v Ellis Zorro
- Filip Hrgovic v Mark de Mori
- Arslanbek Makhmudov v Agit Kabayel
- Frank Sanchez v Junior Fa
Tale of the tape: Joshua v Wallin
After back-to-back defeats in his last real challenge against Usyk, AJ won’t have it easy against Otto Wallin, a man who left Tyson Fury requiring 47 stitches following their bout four years ago.
They’re well balanced in terms of height, with Joshua having the slightly longer reach, with both dangerous when it comes to that knockout punch. AJ will have to be on his toes to get through this difficult encounter, likely leading to a huge fight in the new year.
| Anthony Joshua | Otto Wallin | |
|---|---|---|
Age | 34 | 32 |
Height | 1.98m | 1.97m |
Reach | 208cm | 198cm |
Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
Total Fights | 29 | 28 |
Wins | 26 | 26 |
Wins by KO | 23 | 14 |
Losses | 3 | 1 |
Draws | 0 | 1 |
Form coming into the fight
Joshua has got back on track in the last 12 months following a difficult previous 12 with two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. It hit the Olympic Gold Medallist hard, but he’s navigated wins over Jermaine Franklin and most recently Robert Helenius to get him back into the big fights.
Swedish fighter Wallin has just one loss to his name, defeat to Tyson Fury in 2019, but he made life difficult for the British star, causing a cut to his eye, that he just about managed to navigate.
Since then, Wallin has won all six of his fights, most recently a split decision win over Murat Gassiev to win the WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title.
The bookies have got AJ as a heavy favourite, with the winner most likely setting up a bout for the new year with the winner of Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker, where the 38-year-old Tuscaloosan fighter is also a heavy favourite.