Heavyweight contender Otto Wallin feels confident that former two-time champion Anthony Joshua is a shadow of the fighter who sent Wladimir Klitschko into retirement.
Wallin will collide with Joshua on December 23 in Saudi Arabia.
Should Joshua win, there is a strong possibility that he faces Deontay Wilder in 2024. Wilder appears in the co-feature against fellow former-champ Joseph Parker.
Wallin agrees with observers who believe Joshua is no longer the same fighter since suffering the knockout loss to Andy Ruiz in 2019.
Joshua has built up a two-fight win streak since suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk.
“I think he’s lost his confidence and momentum. You can see the decline. Usyk was ultimately just a better fighter, but Joshua looks unsure of himself. In the beginning, when I fought him, he was a seek and destroy kind of guy, but now he’s afraid of getting hit and of losing,” Wallin told The Times. He’s aware of his vulnerabilities and it’s holding him back. The timing is right for me now.”
At the same time, Wallin still views Joshua as one of the best fighters in the weight class.
“I would say he is still one of the best heavyweights out there and he’s made an amazing career for himself. There has been a decline and I think he has reached his peak already. I think he is mentally fragile, he’s not sure of himself,” Wallin told The Hook.
“He’s changed trainer and I think things can be very tough for him. People are very critical of him, he’s got a lot of pressure. So I think that weighs on him. I think it’s a problem for him, for sure [switching coaches]. I’ve had my trainer now for 10 years. We know each other really well. We trust each other in and out of the ring.”