Fight Week: Wilder vs. Parker, Joshua vs. Wallin headline huge card in Saudi Arabia
FIGHT WEEK
Deontay Wilder is scheduled to face Joseph Parker Jr. and Anthony Joshua will take on Otto Wallin in the headline fights on a massive card Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
DEONTAY WILDER (43-2-1, 42 KOs)
vs. JOSEPH PARKER JR. (33-3, 23 KOs)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 23
Time: 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT (7 p.m. local time) (main event later in show)
Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
At stake: No major titles
Odds: Wilder 5-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin, heavyweights; Filip Hrgovic vs. Mark De Mori, heavyweights; Dmitry Bivol vs. Lyndon Arthur, light heavyweights (for Bivol’s WBA title); Jai Opetaia vs. Ellis Zorro, cruiserweights (for Opetaia’s IBF title); Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller, heavyweights; Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Agit Kabayel, heavyweights; Frank Sanchez vs. Junior Fa, heavyweights
Prediction: Wilder KO 7
Background: Wilder and Joshua fight in separate bouts on this massive pay-per-view card in the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Wilder was stopped by Tyson Fury in back-to-back fights in 2020 and 2021, the first of which cost him the WBC heavyweight title. The 38-year-old from Alabama, arguably the hardest puncher in history, rebounded by knocking out contender Robert Helenius with a short right hand in the first round in October of last year. That victory was Wilder’s first since November 2019, when he stopped Luis Ortiz in the seventh round in the final successful defense of his belt. He and Joshua have an agreement in place to fight on March 9 if they win on Saturday and don’t suffer injuries. Parker, also a former titleholder, has beaten three obscure opponents since he was knocked out in 11 rounds by Joe Joyce in September of last year. The 31-year-old Kiwi was the WBO titleholder from 2016 to 2018, when he lost his belt to Joshua by a one-sided decision. He hasn’t taken part in a major title fight since that setback.
ANTHONY JOSHUA (26-3, 23 KOs)
vs. OTTO WALLIN (26-1, 14 KOs)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 23
Time: 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT (7 p.m. local time) (main event later in show)
Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
Division: Heavyweight (no limit)
At stake: No major titles
Odds: Joshua 3-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker Jr., heavyweights: Filip Hrgovic vs. Mark De Mori, heavyweights; Dmitry Bivol vs. Lyndon Arthur, light heavyweights (for Bivol’s WBA title); Jai Opetaia vs. Ellis Zorro, cruiserweights (for Opetaia’s IBF title); Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller, heavyweights; Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Agit Kabayel, heavyweights; Frank Sanchez vs. Junior Fa, heavyweights
Prediction: Joshua UD
Background: Joshua, a two-time titleholder, also is hoping to work his way back to the top after back-to-back losses. He lost a clear decision and three belts to former cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and came up short by a split decision in the rematch in August of last year. He easily outpointed Jermaine Franklin in his next fight, this past April. And he knocked out Helenius in the seventh round on Aug. 12, his most recent bout. Joshua, 34, is 4-3 in his last seven fights. He has said that he is making one last run at the heavyweight championship. Wallin, a New York-based Swede, made a strong impression by pushing Fury harder than expected in a unanimous decision setback in 2019. He has won six consecutive fights since, including a split decision over Murat Gassiev on Sept. 30. Wallin’s technical ability is comparable to Joshua’s but he can’t match his British counterpart’s punching power.
DMITRY BIVOL (21-0, 11 KOs)
vs. LYNDON ARTHUR (23-1, 16 KOs)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 23
Time: 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT (7 p.m. local time) (main event later in show)
Where: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
Division: Light heavyweight (175 pounds)
At stake: Bivol’s WBA title
Odds: Bivol 16-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Deontay Wilder vs. Joseph Parker Jr., heavyweights: Anthony Joshua vs. Otto Wallin, heavyweights; Filip Hrgovic vs. Mark De Mori, heavyweights; Jai Opetaia vs. Ellis Zorro, cruiserweights (for Opetaia’s IBF title); Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller, heavyweights; Arslanbek Makhmudov vs. Agit Kabayel, heavyweights; Frank Sanchez vs. Junior Fa, heavyweights
Prediction: Bivol UD
Background: Bivol is coming off a break through year last year, which started with the master technician’s stunning unanimous decision victory over Canelo Alvarez in May and concluded with a one-sided decision over previously unbeaten Gilberto Ramirez in November. The latter fight was Bivol’s most recent appearance, meaning he will have been out of the ring for more than 13 months. The Russian has begun maneuvering for a showdown with countryman Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship, assuming he beats Arthur and Beterbiev retains his three belts against Callum Smith on Jan. 13. Arthur, ranked No. 9 by the IBF, is a solid all-around fighter from England who is best known for his two fights with two-time title challenger Anthony Yarde. He upset Yarde by a split decision in 2020 but was stopped by his countryman in four rounds the following year. He has won four consecutive fights since, albeit against marginal opposition.
ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK
WEDNESDAY
Conor Wallace vs. Mose Auimatagi, light heavyweights, Fortitude Valley, Australia (DAZN)
