Anthony Joshua admits ‘there is no future’ if he fails to beat Otto Wallin… as Deontay Wilder super-fight lays in wait
ANTHONY JOSHUA admits his career reconstruction is on the line as he tries to do a demolition job on Otto Wallin.
The 34-year-old London 2012 legend lost his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world titles in 2022, after back-to-back Oleksandr Usyk defeats.
The rebuilding Watford hero has given up on his dream of becoming undisputed boss, with father time – as well as top opponents – mounting up against him.
But he has a long-overdue barnstormer with former WBC king Deontay Wilder booked for March 9 – as long as he can come through his Swedish two-fight amateur rival on Saturday.
Win and he is back at boxing’s top table. Lose and – as the former bricklayer admits – all his hard labour will have turned to dust.
“I’m looking to do a demolition job,” he said. “100 per cent. “I am looking to do a good job. I will do a good job.
“I have purse focus on Saturday. That’s where my heart and soul, every cell in my body is fully focused toward Otto Wallin and doing what I know I can do.
“It’s not hard to stay focused, I made that commitment in my life to stay fully locked in.
“I will perform and do my job. I can definitely also window shop in my life, but I also have to say that this is the checkpoint and if I don’t get past this then there is no future.”
This weekend is Joshua’s third fight in the trillion-dollar kingdom, so no prize fighter is more aware of, or enriched by, the crazy cash swirling around the desert.
ANTHONY JOSHUA VS OTTO WALLIN: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF THRILLING SAUDI CLASH
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
After coming across as brooding and tense in public media events – but a good laugh with SunSport on Tuesday night – he says all the oil-money in the world won’t make him slip up.
And with the polite boxing ambassador staying home in north London, and the spiteful short-tempered beast of an alter-ego hitting the Riyadh ring, Wallin might be in for his hat-trick hiding.
“I’m here to fight,” he growled. “I’m not here to party or get caught up in the glitz and glamour. I want to fight, I want to perform well.
“I put pressure on myself so of course I am tense, because I want to perform and I want to win.
“I have that urge to win and I want to hurt my opponent as well.”