Former three division world champion Badou Jack was ringside last Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, where he witnessed the big ‘Day of Reckoning’ card in Riyadh.
In the main event, former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua battered and stopped Otto Wallin in five rounds.
The co-feature saw one of the biggest upsets of 2023 play out, as Joseph Parker outboxed Deontay Wilder over twelve rounds to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Parker’s victory was unexpected, as a deal was already in place for Joshua and Wilder to collide on a March date in Saudi Arabia.
Jack admits he was one of the many who did not expect Parker to come away with a victory.
“Not really, but Parker is a former world champion. He’s not an easy fight for no one,” Parker told IFL TV.
However, Jack is still interested in watching a long-awaited showdown between Joshua and Wilder.
“I still want to see it. Why not? I don’t think it’s dead, but it’s not as hot as it was before the fight. This is boxing, you win and you lose sometimes,” Jack said.
As far as Joshua goes, many had expected Wallin to present him with a lot of trouble. Wallin had a single defeat on his record, to current WBC world champion Tyson Fury. But the contest played out in a one-sided manner, with Wallin have no answers from the start.
Jack was very impressed with the British star’s performance.
“I thought it was one of his best fights in his career. I’m proud of him. It was a good fight. You have to respect what’s in front of you and not look ahead. Most people felt AJ had the tougher fight than Wilder but look what happened,” Jack said.