Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are finally one win away from a head-on collision.
The pair of former heavyweight titlists arrived ripped and ready for their separate co-headlining acts atop Saturday’s 'Day of Reckoning' mega card from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (DAZN/ESPN+ Pay-Per-View, 11:00 a.m ET, $39.99 SRP). Joshua (26-3, 23KOs) faces Otto Wallin (26-1, 14KOs), while Wilder takes on former WBO title claimant Joseph Parker (33-3, 23KOs), with both bouts scheduled for 12 rounds.
Watford, England’s Joshua was 251 pounds for his third career fight in Saudi Arabia. He was one pound heavier than in his seventh-round knockout of Robert Helenius just four months ago in London. Wallin—a Swedish heavyweight who lives and trains in New York City—was 238.6 pounds for his second straight fight in the Middle East, and roughly one pound heavier than in his twelve-round win over Murat Gassiev on September 30 in Turkey.
A two-fight win streak precedes Joshua’s return to the kingdom, where he suffered a decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in their unified title fight rematch last August in Jeddah. Joshua rebounded with a twelve-round decision win over Jermaine Franklin in April and a seventh-round knockout of Helenius on August 12. Both fights took place at The O2 in London.
Wallin has won five in a row since his September 2019 points loss to England’s Tyson Fury, who stopped Wilder one fight later to reestablish heavyweight championship lineage.
Wilder was a trim and fit 213 pounds, more than a pound later for his first-round knockout of Helenius last October. Parker was 245.1 pounds, nearly five pounds lighter than he was in a third-round knockout of Simon Kean just eight weeks ago in Riyadh.
Wilder has fought just one round of action in the past 26 months. Prior to last October’s knockout win, the 38-year-old Tuscaloosa, Alabama native previously suffered back-to-back knockout defeats to Fury in their second and third fight. Their February 2020 rematch ended Wilder’s five-year WBC heavyweight title reign, much of which he spent out calling for a blockbuster showdown versus Joshua while both were unbeaten titlists.
The matchup still carries mass appeal, though Wilder has to get past Parker, a Fury stablemate.
A three-fight win streak accompanies Parker, a South Auckland native who now lives in Morecambe, England. The former WBO heavyweight titlist previously won six in a row after his title reign ended before an eleventh-round knockout last September in Manchester. Saturday will mark his fourth fight on the year, his most active campaign since 2016 which ended with his WBO title win over Andy Ruiz when both were unbeaten contenders.
Various reports have indicated that wins by Joshua and Wilder will set up a March 9 showdown in Riydah.
UNDERCARD BOUTS
Daniel Dubois (19-2, 18KOs), London, 239 pounds vs. Jarrell Miller (26-0-1, 22KOs), Brooklyn, New York, 333 pounds—10 rounds, heavyweight
Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11KOs), Indio, California, 174.6 pounds vs. Lyndon Arthur (23-1, 16KOs), Manchester, England, 174.2 pounds—12 rounds, for Bivol’s WBA light heavyweight title
Arslanbek Makhmudov (18-0, 17KOs), Montreal via Mozdok, Russia, 262 pounds vs. Agit Kabayel (23-0, 15KOs), Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, 241.3 pounds—10 rounds, heavyweight
Jai Opetaia (23-0, 18KOs), Sydney, Australia, 198.4 pounds vs. Ellis Zorro (17-0, 7KOs), Kent, England, 197.4 pounds—12 rounds, for Opetaia’s lineal/RING cruiserweight championship
Filip Hrgovic (16-0, 13KOs), Zagreb, Croatia, 246vpounds vs. Mark De Mori (41-2-2, 36KOs), Perth, Australia, 242.6 pounds—10 rounds, heavyweight
Frank Sanchez (23-0, 16KOs), Miami via Guantanamo, Cuba, 238 pounds vs. Junior Fa (20-2, 11KOs), Otahuhu, New Zealand, 278.9 pounds—10 rounds, heavyweight
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. X (formerly Twitter): @JakeNDaBox