‘Day Of Reckoning’ is finally here. Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin headlines this stellar card from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, with several elite fighters also featuring on the bill. But why exactly is the Joshua vs Wallin fight in Saudi Arabia?
Why Is Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin In Saudi Arabia?
The Middle East has become a central hub for all of the big fights over recent years. The likes of Dubai, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and of course Saudi Arabia have now held several high-calibre boxing events in recent years. Not to mention several UFC shows, as well as golf and football.
This weekend epitomises that, with Anthony Joshua fighting for the third time in Saudi. His first fight was of course the Andy Ruiz Jr rematch in the Saudi Arabian desert back in 2019, with Joshua winning via unanimous decision. Then the Oleksandr Usyk rematch in 2022 was of course also in Saudi Arabia.
This goes to show the appeal that Saudi Arabia, alongside some other Middle Eastern countries, has on staging super-fights and mega-events. Saturday night’s co-promotion between Matchroom and Queensberry is one of the most complete cards in recent boxing memory.
The fact that the ‘Day of Reckoning‘ event is being stages in Saudi Arabia comes as no surprise. Simply put, the reason the Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin fight is being staged in Saudi Arabia is solely down to money. His Excellency, TURKI ALALSHIKH, has put down incredible sums of money that is simply too lucrative to ignore.
Previous Boxing Events In Saudi Arabia
This isn’t the first high-calibre boxing event in Saudi Arabia, that is for sure. It also certainly won’t be the last. The undisputed world heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on 17th February is of course set for Saudi Arabia too.
Saudi has now become a central hub for major football events, with some of the worlds best players now playing in the Middle East. Not to mention huge golf, UFC and cricket events too. However, some would say it all began over five years ago with the first global boxing show in Saudi Arabia.
Here are just some of the other previous boxing events that have taken place in Saudi Arabia in recent years:
George Groves vs Callum Smith – September 2018
The first huge boxing event to take place in Saudi Arabia was the World Boxing Super Series super-middleweight final between George Groves and Callum Smith. The fight went down over five years ago now, with Smith winning the coveted Muhammad Ali trophy in Jeddah.
‘Mundo’ won the fight via seventh round knockout, which also happened to be George Groves’ final fight as a professional boxer. This was the first global boxing event held over in Saudi Arabia, and they certainly haven’t looked back since.
Anthony Joshua vs Andry Ruiz Jr 2 – December 2019
The first time Anthony Joshua fought in Saudi Arabia was of course for his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr back in December 2019. Joshua has been defeated by Ruiz in a shock upset at Madison Square Garden six months prior, and was seeking revenge in the rematch in Diriyah.
‘AJ’ did just that, comprehensively outboxing Ruiz for 12 rounds to regain his unified world heavyweight titles via unanimous decision. This was the first show Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing had staged in Saudi, and it was just the beginning.
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 – August 2022
32 months after first fighting in the desert of Saudi Arabia, Anthony Joshua returned for the second time. It was once again for a rematch, this time attempting to avenge his loss to the great Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua was unable to do so, with Usyk retaining his IBF, WBO and WBA-Super World Heavyweight Titles via split decision in Jeddah. This was the last time ‘AJ’ fought in Saudi, up until Saturday’s ‘Day Of Reckoning’ super-fight with Otto Wallin.
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury – February 2023
The huge boxing crossover between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury was the first fight of 2023 to be staged in Saudi Arabia. Fury, the legitimate boxer and former Love Island star, defeated ‘The Problem Child’ via split decision in Diriyah in their catchweight contest back in February.
‘TNT’ was given the nod on the judges scorecards, despite being knocked down in the final round of the fight by the American YouTube star. All of the celebrities were out for this one in what ended up being a mega-fight.
The event was a co promotion between Frank Warren at Queensberry Promotions and Paul’s very own promotional company – Most Valuable Promotions.
Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou – October 2023
The last boxing event to take place in Saudi Arabia was of course the huge heavyweight crossover clash between Tyson Fury and former UFC champion Francis Ngannou. The fight ended up being far more competitive than anyone anticipated, and was a crazy event all-in-all.
Ngannou knocked Fury down early in Round 3 in their fight in Riyadh, before going the full 10 rounds with ‘Thy Gypsy King’. However, Fury was given a favourable split decision, meaning he wasn’t embarrassed by a boxing novice on his debut.
That takes us up to now for ‘Day Of Reckoning’ in Riyadh at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night. Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin takes centre stage and simply cannot be missed!
Prior to the main event on Saturday night, Anthony Joshua is the overriding 2/7 betting favourite with the best boxing betting sites. Otto Wallin on the other hand goes into the bout as the 11/4 underdog with the best UK bookmakers.
Tuning into an Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin live stream courtesy of bet365 is the best option for boxing fans wanting to watch this compelling ‘Day Of Reckoning’ card totally free of charge. Not to mention some exclusive ‘Day Of Reckoning’ betting offers.
Be sure to claim the various sports betting apps bonuses and boxing free bets available on the SportsLens site prior to this heavyweight clash. Also be sure to stay up to date with our exclusive boxing live streaming sites.
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin – Fight Info
- 🥊 Boxing Fight: Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin
- 📊 Records: Anthony Joshua (26-3, 23 KO’s) | Otto Wallin (26-1, 14 KO’s)
- 📅 Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023
- 🕛 Main Event Time: Approx. 11:30PM GMT
- 🏆 Titles: N/A
- 📺 TV Channel: DAZN PPV/TNT Sports Box Office
- 🏟 Venue: Kingdom Arena | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 🎲 Fight Odds: Joshua 2/7 | Wallin 11/4
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