Sat. Dec 23rd, 10:00am cst
Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Toprank, Matchroom Boxing, Salita Promotions, Wasserman, Queensbury Promotions, SES Sports Events
On DAZN PPV
Table of Contents
Day of Reckoning Card Overview:
What is widely considered the most stacked card in, at the very least, a couple of decades, was rumored for a while but announced only a month ago. Not a long time at all, but it didn’t need months of advertisement to excite fans of both the sport, and large events in general. They only needed to announce who would be there, and who they were matched with. For one, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder being on the same card is pretty remarkable. A tease to be sure, but remarkable all the same. Though they aren’t yet meeting in the ring, it’s more than implied that that fight will happen should both come out with a win. It would’ve been easy to feed both of them some no-hoper tomato cans that would all but guarantee their respective victories, but that’s not what happened. Wilder has to get through the formidable former champion, Joseph Parker. Joshua must beat the well-rounded title contender, Otto Wallin. The opponents may not be quite the household names that Wilder and Joshua are, at least not yet, but they do have comparable skills and similar aspirations. An upset from either isn’t out of the question. And to people who follow the heavyweight division closely, it wouldn’t even be that surprising.
But the competitive matchups won’t stop at the co-headliners. 2022 fighter of the year, Dmitrii Bivol will make his first 2023 appearance against the highly regarded Lyndon Arther. British star, Daniel Dubois, is looking to show the world he’s better than his two losses to Joe Joyce and Oleksander Usyk, by defeating the yet-to-be-beaten big man with an even bigger personality, Jerrell Miller.
Also featured will be cruiserweight, very recently stripped of the IBF Championship, Jai Opetai showcasing his impressive skill against unbeaten Ellis Zorro. Two undefeated up and coming heavyweights Arslanbek Makhmudov and Agit Kabayel clash to see who continues to rise up the ranks and who takes a step backwards. Filip Hrgovic tests himself once again to try and put a halt to veteran Mark De Mori’s eleven-fight win streak. And impressive Cuban heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez takes on twice-beaten New Zealander, Junior Fa.
DAY OF RECKONING CARD Background:
Anthony ”AJ” Joshua(26-3, 23KOs) vs. Otto “All In” Wallin(26-1, 14KOs):
Anthony Joshua has been the biggest star of British boxing for years, and for good reason. Not only did he unify 3 of the 4 major titles, but he looked fantastic and stayed fan friendly while doing it. He was a late starter as far as boxers go. Picking up the sport at age 18, it took him only 5 years to go from complete novice to olympic champion. When he turned professional in 2013 he still had his doubters, but his power was undeniable, and as his profile was rising, so too was his overall skill.
For the last 8 years at least, he consistently took the most difficult opponents of anyone else at the top of the heavyweight division, defeating such fighters as Dillion Whyte, Charles Martin, Joseph Parker, Alexander Povetkin, Dominic Brazeale, Kubrat Pulev, and the longest reigning heavyweight champion of all time, Vladimir Klitchko. As is bound to happen when you match yourself tough for that long, he’s picked up a couple losses along the way. His first was when Andy Ruiz jr, known for having blistering hand speed for a man his size, got the TKO victory. AJ was able to best Ruiz by boxing from the outside over 12 rounds in the rematch, becoming unified champion once again. His second and third losses were at the hands of the former undisputed cruiserweight and extremely skilled Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
Though the loss of “his” belts haunts him, 2023 has been a good rebuilding year for AJ. He started with a unanimous decision over Jermaine Franklin in April at his home in the 02 Arena in Greenwich. In August he returned, only this time against a late-notice Robert Helenius. A right hand in the 7th round sent Helenius crashing to the canvas and the fight was waived off immediately. Though the initial plan was to rematch Dillion Whyte, getting some rounds in and defeating Helenius the way he did was definitely positive for Joshua and set him up nicely for the tough, game, and physical, Otto Wallin.
Swedish contender, Otto Wallin, turned professional in 2013 and remained undefeated through 20 fights. In April of 2019 he made his American debut against Nick Krisner, on the undercard of Claressa Shields vs Christina Hammer. The plan, of course, was to make a splash in the U.S., but because of a cut on Krisner caused by an accidental clash of heads, the fight was stopped in the first round and ruled a No-Contest.
It wasn’t long before he was invited back stateside, only this time he wouldn’t be on the undercard. None other than Tyson Fury, fresh off of a 2-round TKO win over Tom Shwarz, signed up for a clash with Wallin in T-mobile Arena Las Vegas in September of 2019. Though widely received by fans as a possible “cherry pick” before the fight began, Wallin did not come to lose. Wallin, not in awe of Fury as so many were before him, stayed in front of the then former champion, and refused to take a backward step. In round three a left hand from Otto tore open a cut on the right eye of the favorite, Fury. As the fight wore on there were ebbs and flows of both men’s successes, and more flows than ebbs of blood pouring from Fury’s brow. By the last round it was apparent that Fury had done enough to remain undefeated, but many talking heads at the time pontificated that the fight should’ve been stopped from the cut. Although Wallin had lost the fight, he had proven his worth on the world stage by giving “the Gypsy King” all that he could handle.
Since his impressive showing against Fury, Otto Wallin has had 6 fights and won all of them. His most recent was a split decision victory over former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev, who’s only previous defeat had come at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk, and who had not yet lost a fight at heavyweight.
Otto Wallin and Anthony Joshua actually fought in the amateurs and have sparred one another whilst in the professional ranks, adding another layer of intrigue to this match-up. There is no doubt that “All In” Wallin is ready for his second chance at taking out a top heavyweight, in AJ, and showing the world what he is made of once again. As there is also no doubt that Anthony Joshua knows who he has in front of him, and has prepared accordingly.
Deontay “the Bronze Bomber” Wilder(43-2-1, 42KOs) vs. Joseph Parker(33-3, 23KOs):
Tuscaloosa, Alabama’s own Deontay Wilder is regarded as one of the biggest punchers in prizefighting heavyweight history, and is a strong contender for holding the hardest single punch of all time. With the sport being well over 100 years old, and featuring such heavy handed legends as Joe Louis, Sonny Liston, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers and Mike Tyson, even being mentioned in that group is no easy feat.
Like Joshua, Wilder also started later in life than most champions. He began to learn the sport in 2005 at 20 years old. Remarkably, he won the bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics only 3 years after picking up the gloves, earning the nickname “the Bronze Bomber.” That same year, he turned professional and thus began his rise to the very top of the heavyweight heap.
Wilder began his pro career going 25 fights, winning all by knockout and all within 4 rounds. He had 32 fights before he even went the distance for the first time. That 12 rounder was against WBC champion Bermain Stiverne. The Bronze Bomber didn’t get the end he wanted, but did cruise to a unanimous decision, becoming WBC champion of the world. After a few more high profile knockouts Wilder ended up rematching Stiverne and demolished him in the first round, thus was able to say, in 40 professional matches he had knocked out every single opponent he had ever faced.
Fight 41 was the first of a trilogy against Tyson Fury. Wilder was taken to the final bell for the second time in his career, but Fury hit the canvas twice in that fight, with the second being one of the most dramatic rises from the canvas ever seen on television. The judges scored the fight a split draw, meaning Wilder was able to keep his WBC title.
Deontay was able to rack up a total of 10 successful championship defenses. After that he would famously rematch Fury twice, losing by TKO 7 in the second fight. In 2021 he lost the third by knockout in the 11th round, but it only added to the legend that is Wilder by being one of, if not, the most entertaining and dramatic heavyweight championship matches in modern history. Though he was still able to put Tyson Fury on the canvas a total of 4 times during their 36 rounds in the ring, he had then lost 2 out of 3 and his WBC belt to boot.
Not ready to call it quits, and eager to be champion again, Wilder returned in October of 2022. This time against former sparring partner, Robert Helenius. Though getting in some rounds would have been good for the Bronze Bomber, a short right hand off the ropes, about 40 seconds into the first round, was all it took. Helenius crumpled unconscious to the canvas and the fight was called off immediately.
Though his style is obviously unorthodox, garnering criticism from some, everything he does in the ring, including his underrated jab and unique form, is done to ensure that the legendary power he possesses finds his opponent. Wilder is currently over a year removed from the ring, he’s been working diligently with current trainer, Malik Scott, and is certain he’s in shape to take on the tough customer that is, Joseph Parker
The pride of both New Zealand and Samoa, Joseph Parker is no stranger to high-profile fights himself. He has a reputation as a man who takes all comers and has proven that he belongs at the upper echelons of the heavyweight division.
In 2016, he had worked his way to a chance at the WBO strap, but first he had to defeat a then 29-0 Andy Ruiz jr. It was a very close fight, Parker using his strength, Ruiz using his speed, and both showcasing their skill and ability to take a punch, Parker was the one who got his hand raised, becoming the very first heavyweight world champion from either New Zealand or the Pacific Islands.
Once he had the belt in hand he defended it twice before trying to unify against Anthony Joshua in 2018. He came up short but refused to let a loss define him. Later that year he fought Dillion Whyte, dropping him twice but ended up taking his second loss in a controversial decision. Four wins later, including a UD over undercard fighter and fellow countryman “Junior” Fa, he went up against the beloved veteran, Derek Chisora. Parker went down at the very beginning of the first round with a flash knockdown, but fought hard to win a split decision. A rematch was in order, only this time it was he who knocked Chisora to the canvas thrice, winning in unanimous fashion.
His next bout was against 37-year-old rising prospect turned contender “the Juggernaut” Joe Joyce. Parker fought valiantly through 11 rounds against the heavy puncher, but ultimately, exhaustion and the immense power of Joyce took their toll. His iron chin failed him for the first time and he came crashing to the canvas. Though Joe Parker did his best to get up in time, he didn’t quite make the count, ending the fight.
Since the loss to Joyce in September of last year, Parker has stayed busy, fighting three times, winning all three, two of them by early knockout, showing that he still has the will, skill, and power to get in on his opponents.
Time and time again, throughout his career, he has shown such heart and willingness to take tough match-ups. Not only that, but he is very well rounded and carries enough power to keep any heavyweight honest.
It’s obvious from the build up that there is a lot of respect between Wilder and Parker. For now, however, they are in each other’s way. Wilder has to get through Parker to finally get the long-awaited clash with Joshua. Parker has to get through Wilder to start another run for the belts. Afterwards, it’s likely these two affable guys become friends, but for now, both have their eyes on the destruction of the other.
Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois(19-2, 18KOs) vs Jerrell “Big Baby” Miller(26-0-1, 22KOs):
Dmitrii Bivol(21-0, 11KOs) vs Lyndon “King” Arther(23-1, 16KOs):
Dmitrii Bivol is an absolute force at light heavyweight. He’s best known for his outstanding 2022, when he won fighter of the year. In May, Bivol shocked all who weren’t familiar with him by dismantling pound-for-pound great Canelo Alvarez, though the judges saw it closer, putting an abrupt halt in Alvarez’s brave light heavyweight run. Followed by a near shut-out against a very highly skilled, highly regarded, and huge for the weight, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, which also ended Zurdo’s light heavyweight run, sending him upwards to the cruiserweight division for good. Even before 2022, he had already handily beaten some very good fighters like Joe Smith jr, Isaac Chilemba, Sullivan Barrera, and Jean Pascal.
Bivol is one of the most well rounded and highly skilled boxers in the sport today. His ring IQ and footwork are absolutely top-tier. His range finding and punch selection is something to behold. And his speed and power are nothing to sniff at either. It should be mentioned, however, that though he has knocked out a little over half of his opponents, he does seem to be satisfied with cruising to a decision as opposed to getting his guy out of there.
Lyndon Arther has made a name for himself on the domestic level in the UK. The coming match in Riyadh will not only be his first shot at a world title, but it will actually be the first time he’s fought outside of his home country in his entire career. That’s not to say he isn’t a world-class boxer. He is one of only three people to defeat Anthony Yarde, the other two being Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev, putting him in very good company. He beat Yarde by a split decision in 2020, but took his lone loss in the rematch by fourth round knockout in 2021.
In his most recent outing against Braian Suarez, Arther went down from a heavy right hand at the end of the 4th round, but was up before the ref counted to seven. He was rocked a few more times throughout the fight. In the 10th round, he was beaten up and behind on the scorecards, but showing his immense will and character, bit down on his mouth guard and landed a great body shot on Suarez. Suarez went down with a late reaction and could not recover, making Arther the victor, and the new IBO title holder.
Arther is an orthodox fighter that mostly leans on his front foot. He does his best work behind a solid and educated jab. He has enough power to keep any opponent honest, racking up 16 knockouts in his 23 victories. Of the 16 knockouts all but three of them happened before the fourth round, suggesting that he may be more dangerous early in the fight than he is late.
Dmitrii Bivol is a heavy favorite going into this match against Lyndon Arther, and for good reason. Arther will have to have the best performance of his career to pull it off. But this is boxing, upsets are never out of the question.
DAY OF RECKONING Undercard:
Arslanbek Makmhudov(18-0, 17KOs) vs Agit Kabayel(23-0, 15KOs):
These two undefeated, heavy-handed, heavyweights are hungry for the fame, fortune, and favorable rankings that will come along with an impressive win against the other. This is almost certain to end in a knockout.
Jai Opetai(23-0, 18KOs) vs Ellis Zorro(17-0, 7KOs):
Jai Opetai was the IBF cruiserweight world champion last week. At that point he was widely considered the best champion at that weight. Due to a disagreement with the sanctioning body, Opetai was stripped of his title Monday morning. The chance to be on this card was too good to pass up, so now we get to see an angry Opetai attempt to take out his frustration with the IBF on the undefeated Brit, Ellis Zorro. Zorro has plans for an upset that would put him on a rocket to the top of the cruiserweight division, though maybe not towards the IBF belt
Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic(16-0, 13KOs) vs Mark “the Viking” de Mori(42-2-2, 36KOs):
The Croatian, Hrgovic, has been making a name for himself already, having defeated Zhilei Zhang in a close match in 2022. Saturday he takes on veteran Mark De Mori who has not been defeated since his loss to David Haye in 2016. With such a large audience expected to be watching, expectations are high for both men.
Frank “the Cuban Flash" Sanchez(23-0, 16KOs) vs Uaine “Junior” Fa(20-2, 11KOs):
Frank Sanchez is a fearsome mix of heavy hands, great technique and Cuban style, most known for handily defeating the promising prospect, Efe Ajagbe in 2021. Junior Fa’s biggest fight so far was his losing effort against co-headliner Joseph Parker, though he acquitted himself well. Sanchez is rightfully the favorite, though there are no guarantees in the sport, especially in the heavyweight division, and even more especially when the heavyweight you’re across from is as skilled as Fa.
