Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury talks are continuing to drag on without a resolution, but should the fight take place, common opponent Otto Wallin believes he knows who will come out on top.
Wallin is one of six combatants to have shared the ring with both ‘AJ’ and ‘The Gypsy King’ – joined in that club by Kevin Johnson, Wladimir Klitschko, Dillian Whyte, Francis Ngannou and Oleksandr Usyk – having been decisioned by Fury in 2019 and knocked out by Joshua in 2023.
Despite a more damning defeat to the Londoner, Wallin initially picked Fury to come out on top in the contest, when he made his prediction back in May.
“Fury would probably be the favourite, but it’s a very interesting fight. I think Fury is a better boxer but Joshua is not to be underestimated. He is very sharp. He has pretty fast feet and fast hands, and he is very powerful.
“So, if he can land some good shots, it will definitely be a very interesting fight, and a fight that he can win also but Fury is a good boxer. He moves well and he is smart. When he is in those big fights, usually, he fights very well.”
Talks have since progressed after the pair both won their respective warm-up bouts against Kristian Prenga and Mariusz Wach, but negotiations have stalled in recent weeks due to issues regarding the location of the event.
As a result, Fury has began to suggest other potential dance partners for his November fight date, but Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn remains confident that the all-British blockbuster will take place.
Speaking to Seconds Out, Wallin looked ahead to the bout and predicted that ‘Fury will fight on the back foot and outbox Joshua’.
“It will be a very exciting fight, I think it will be a good fight, it depends on where both guys are right now.
“I would think that Fury would outbox Joshua but Joshua is a very good fighter, also. He is definitely in the fight. Anything can happen.”
“He [Fury] will probably go on the back foot but he has an aggressive coach, so he might try and be aggressive too. I just feel like Fury has really good boxing skills when he is sharp and that will be a big issue for Joshua.”
The clock is ticking as Joshua and Hearn seek to finalise their renegotiation for a clash on Friday, November 20, but it remains to be seen whether the show will go ahead and, if it does, where it will land.
