A competitive loss at the hands of Tyson Fury in 2019 was supposed to be a blessing in disguise. For Otto Wallin, it wasn’t the results he wanted but coming out on the losing end would seemingly open up every door imaginable to him. Before Fury, Wallin was an unknown commodity. Now, he was a bonafide contender.
Nevertheless, just when Wallin (25-1, 14 KOs) was bracing himself for the endless line of huge fights that were bound to happen, he was pushed to the sidelines. Forced to figure things out in boxing’s purgatory, the 32-year-old fought just once in 2020 and 2021. Things ticked up in 2022 and 2023, but he was still deprived of a big-time opportunity. In the coming weeks, however, that’s all about to change.
On September 30th, at the Regnum Carya Hotel in Antalya, Turkiye, Wallin will take on former unified cruiserweight champion, Murat Gassiev.
Up until this point, Gassiev has shown the sort of chin that some can only dream of. When his defense fails him and his opponents land huge blows right on the money, Gassiev doesn’t flinch.
Ultimately, Wallin isn’t worried about Gassiev’s ability to take a good shot. Although he’s shared the ring with a few heavy hitters, Wallin is convinced that he can put his man to sleep if given the chance.
“I think I can do it,” said Wallin to BoxingScene.com when asked if he has the power to stop Gassiev dead in his tracks.
Highlight-reel-worthy knockouts get the fans buzzing but winning keeps them coming back. Of course, having Gassiev lying down motionless on the canvas would prove to the world that he’s more than just a pure boxer. With that said, as long as Wallin’s hand is raised in victory, he’ll be a happy man.
“The most important thing is getting the win but it would be amazing if I could stop him. It would be a really big statement.”