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Boxing

Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin: Keys to victory for both fighters

Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin: Keys to victory for both fightersMark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
The two heavyweights meet in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua main-events Saturday's "Day of Reckoning" card when he takes on Sweden's Otto Wallin on DAZN PPV

For Joshua, a victory is crucial if he is to set up some major fights for 2024 which includes a potential meeting with the dangerous Deontay Wilder. 

However, Wallin has proven that he can trouble some of the heavyweight division's best operators and will relish the chance to spoil the party in Riyadh. 

Here, DAZN takes a look at how both fighters can get the win in Saudi Arabia. 

Anthony Joshua

Establish punching power early 

If there is one thing fans want to see more of from Anthony Joshua, it's his knockout power. 

He showcased that in his stoppage win over Robert Helenius in August and now there is hope that Joshua can do something similar against the Swede. 

If Joshua is to get the victory within the 12-round distance, he needs to land power shots early to shake Wallin, and open up a potential opportunity to land a winning blow which made the British star one of boxing's most entertaining names. 

Don't let pent up emotions hinder strategy

Anthony Joshua is a man on a mission if his demeanour in the build-up to this fight is to be believed. 

From the announcement press conference last month onwards, Joshua has not been very talktative, giving simple answers to any questions thrown at him. 

Any responses seem to have an aggressive intention behind them and while it's a positive to see Joshua focused on the task at hand, he cannot let his pent-up emotion hinder his game plan come fight night and be wreckless against a credible heavyweight contender. 

Stay focused on Wallin, not other fighters on the card

With Deontay Wilder featuring on the same bill, there has been plenty of talk about when Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will finally face each other with March 9 being touted as a potential date. 

Joshua has reiterated that he is not looking past Otto Wallin, but that has not stopped him from being involved in heated exchanges with Jarrell Miller in the run-up to Saturday's contest. 

If Joshua is to make a statement, he needs to be solely focused on Wallin and not think about a future meeting with Wilder, along with getting into any verbal sparring with Miller who is still able to rattle the Olympian at any given moment. 

Otto Wallin 

Utilise the southpaw stance

If there's one thing Otto Wallin can use to trouble Anthony Joshua, it's his southpaw stance. 

We have already seen Joshua's struggles against southpaws during his back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, and if Wallin can use it effectively, it may panic the former world champion and put him on the back foot. 

Use the whole of the ring to your advantage

Anthony Joshua has never been a fighter known for his movement and this could be an area Otto Wallin could exploit. 

Unlike his fellow countryman Tyson Fury, Joshua is a fighter who is slow and methodical when moving around the ring, therefore Wallin should go into this contest with the mindset of using the whole ring to his advantage. 

If Wallin can run rings around Joshua, the British fighter could get tired in the latter stages allowing Wallin to gain control, and potentially finish the fight early. 

Back up the mind games

Otto Wallin has not been afraid in the build-up to try and get under Anthony Joshua's skin by questioning his mentality. 

But all the talking will stop come Saturday night where Wallin will have to back up these claims.

To do this, Wallin needs to gain Joshua's respect early, land a number of clean punches in the opening rounds in an attempt to make Joshua wary and force him to hold back when it comes to getting involved in any exchanges. 

You can watch the Day of Reckoning, featuring Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin, Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller, on DAZN PPV on Saturday, December 23. Click here for more details.

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