Saudi Arabia hosted a star-studded card of fighters on December 23 and lived up to the hype as Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder headlined the event with contrasting results that are sure to leave the boxing world talking for some time. The ‘Day of Reckoning’ boxing took place at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
British former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 KO’s) completed his thirtieth fight in style, showcasing an aggressive side that had not been seen for years as he dismantled Swedish contender Otto Wallin (26-2, 14 KO’s), a top 10 heavyweight. Despite Wallin’s improvements since his 2019 fight against Tyson Fury, he seemed to stand no chance against Joshua, who appeared to be the superior fighter in every aspect.
From defense to offense, Joshua’s work over the past year seemed to have paid off as he, with Ben Davison in his corner, mostly maintained a distance from Wallin. While Wallin did not shy away from attacking, his offense was quickly smothered by Joshua’s improved head movement and overall defense.
Peppering Wallin with right hands and jabs, Joshua only needed five rounds to force Wallin to quit on his stool after the Swede took heavy damage in the fifth round. Joshua’s dominating performance was capped by Wallin’s corner indicating they would no longer continue before the sixth round, leading to Joshua being announced the winner by corner retirement, which will count as a KO on his record.
It was an impressive performance from Joshua, especially after his last match against Robert Helenius in October, where despite winning by knockout, he failed to impress. However, Joshua managed to dominate Wallin, considered a top 10 heavyweight in all relevant rankings.
The key factor was Joshua’s aggressiveness, which, compared to his previous two matches this year, seemed to put him into fifth gear from the onset of the match. This aggressiveness saw Joshua’s heavy punches gradually break Wallin down.
His winning performance would have set up a potential match against Wilder in the near future, according to reports. However, this fight is apparently no longer on the cards after Joseph Parker (34-3, 23 KO’s) recorded a unanimous decision win over Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KO’s).
New Zealander heavyweight Joseph Parker, similarly active as former opponent Anthony Joshua, fought three times in 2023 prior to facing Wilder and produced an impressive display of boxing. He won nearly every round, securing an easy UD win with scores of 118-111, 118-110, and 120-108.
While Parker had been extremely active compared to Wilder, who had not fought in over a year since defeating Helenius in 2022, Wilder’s lack of activity is not an appropriate excuse given ample chances to get match fit similar to Joshua and Parker. Facing a top 10/15-rated opponent in Parker, it stood to reason that Wilder should have stayed busy and remained ready for such an opponent.
Parker was a live opponent during the twelve rounds, although their fight wasn’t an all-out brawl. Parker was the more busy and efficient fighter, while Wilder neglected to throw much besides the right hand. Despite several opportunities for Wilder to capitalize, he failed to take advantage, and Parker stayed focused throughout, remaining sharp on both his defense and offense.
Wilder’s powerful right hand did manage to hit Parker several times, but overall, the New Zealander either evaded his right or stifled any of Wilder’s attempts by being proactive and aggressive where needed. Parker’s ability to launch his own right hand proved too quick and powerful for Wilder to handle, sending him stumbling back several times.
There was a sense that Parker could have knocked out Wilder if he had maintained a higher tempo, but either way, Parker appeared to be the better man in every round and won a relatively clean and seamless match against the former WBC world champion.
With his win, Parker has reclaimed his position as a top heavyweight after working hard on his development following his past three losses, the latest coming by way of Joe Joyce, who knocked him out in the eleventh round of their fight in 2022.
A rematch between Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker might be on the cards rather than the previously expected match between Joshua and Parker. However, there also seems to be a good chance for both fighters to go their own way, with Joshua already stating his intention to fight for a title, while Parker might look for his own opportunities for a title or quality opponents to face.
The rest of the undercard contained an even more surprising result as German heavyweight Agit Kabayel stunned onlookers by beating Russian contender Arslanbek Makhmudov by technical knockout in the fourth round of their 10-round match. Makhmudov, quite active this year and considered the favorite, succumbed to the body shots of Kabayel; a strategy which clearly paid off as he knocked down the Russian three times en route to a surprising yet pivotal victory.
Russian WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol had another match where he dominated British contender Lyndon Arthur, but he may have been disappointed not to be able to stop or knock Arthur out after trying to do so several times, landing an almost record number of combinations, only managing to knock Arthur down once during the match.
A match between Bivol and Artur Beterbiev might be on the cards for next year, depending on whether Beterbiev makes it past Callum Smith on January 18th.
British heavyweight Daniel Dubois seemed to have recovered well following his August match against Oleksandr Usyk. Facing American maverick Jarrell Miller, Dubois stopped Miller in the final round to record a noteworthy comeback victory against a fighter who was nearly 100 pounds heavier than him.
Cruiserweight Jai Opetaia, who stepped into the ring without the IBF belt and only The Ring lineal belt, needed only one round to knock out opponent Ellis Zorro to the point he needed oxygen following the match. It is yet unknown whether this IBF belt will be made available during the purported future match between him and Mairis Briedis, but Opetaia again proved to be one of the best cruiserweights in the division and certainly deserving of a world title.
Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez faced New Zealander Junior Fa and disposed of him within seven rounds, stopping him after an onslaught of punches Fa was unable to defend against.
Croatian Filip Hrgovic also made his presence known in the heavyweight division by defeating Australian contender Mark de Mori in just the first round.
The ‘Day of Reckoning’ seemed to be a successful event for spectators, fighters, and promoters alike, driving home the point of how money can provide a groundbreaking incentive for fighters to finally face each other.
Though the event featured a number of well-known fighters, both Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker rightfully seemed to grab the headlines as they dispatched their opponents with ease and proved that hard work and concentration are still valuable assets that separate a top fighter from the rest.
Both fighters have fought at least three times a year since completing their December 23 match, alluding to the fact that being more active and engaged in one’s own development can make all the difference between beating elite fighters and being one.
