Like many in the boxing world, Swedish heavyweight contender Otto Wallin wasn’t overly impressed by Anthony Joshua’s latest performance in the ring.
Joshua, the former heavyweight contender and star in his native England, turned back a game Jermaine Franklin of Michigan over 12 rounds earlier this month at O2 Arena in London. It was Joshua’s first win since suffering back-to-back defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine.
Joshua earned a solid unanimous decision over Franklin, but critics have been divided on how to grade his performance, especially given it was his first fight under the stewardship of new trainer Derrick James. Some—even his own promoter Eddie Hearn—have suggested Joshua appeared gun-shy and hesitant at times. Joshua, moreover, weighed 255 ¼ pounds, the heaviest of his career.
Wallin, who has been something of a perennial candidate to face Joshua, is very much of the opinion that Joshua is the longer the same fighter that he once was, saying his “confidence” has been totally ruined. Piggybacking on a widely-held theory that Joshua was irrevocably changed after his brutal tussle with Wladimir Klitschko and knockout loss to Andy Ruiz, Wallin believes Joshua has become something of a basket case inside the ring.
“I don’t think his physique has changed,” Wallin told iD Boxing. “I think it’s more his mental game. I think he’s lost a lot of confidence. You know, maybe it started when he had that tear-up with Klitschko and you know knocked Klitschko down, and he got knocked down, it was a really tough fight. Came out with a knockout win but then fought Ruiz, had him down, and then went after him, and then got caught himself and then ultimately got knocked out. So I think it has a lot to do with confidence. I think his confidence is really shot, and I think he really cares about what people think of him and what they expect of him. I think it’s all mental [with Joshua], to be honest.
“Looking back, maybe he shouldn’t have come in so heavy. What does it matter how heavy you punch if you can’t hit the guy? Maybe it slows him down a little bit. Maybe he gets worried about his cardio when he’s heavy. So, I think that, I didn’t see a big difference, but maybe it’s better for him if he’s lighter. It’s not all about how much you weigh. You gotta have the speed, the timing, and the stamina to really perform.”
“Like I said, his confidence seems really shot,” Wallin continued. “Like I said, I still think he’s a really good fighter. He is obviously one of the best heavyweights out there. He’s changed a little bit lately. He’s more aware. He doesn’t want to get tired. He doesn’t want to get knocked out. He seems very aware and worried about that.”
Wallin, who is backed by Detroit-based promoter Dmitry Salita, hopes he will get the nod to face Joshua at some point.
Earlier this week, Joshua informed the public that he intends to return to the ring in December, which contradicted talk of him potentially fighting three times this year, including a fight in the summer, possibly against Dillian Whyte in a rematch.
“I’ve been in the mix for a while now with Joshua,” Wallin said. “It’s all up to them. Ball’s in their court. I really want that fight. I think I can do really well with him.”
Sean Nam is the author of the forthcoming book Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.