Despite his underdog status, Otto Wallin appears confident ahead of his Saturday bout with the former two-time unified world champion, Anthony Joshua.
During Tuesday's grand arrivals in Riyadh, Wallin implied that Joshua's best days are in the past, compared to his own which are in the present — and in the future.
“I think it has been hard for him to realize that he is vulnerable," said Wallin. “I think he hasn’t really looked the same, and I have gotten better."
“He lost to [Andy] Ruiz, he lost to [Oleksandr] Usyk, and I don’t think there is any shame in that, both guys are very good,” Wallin said this week. “He hasn’t really been that aggressive, seek-and-destroy guy that he was known to be when he came up.”
“I feel I have shown in the past I am a very good fighter, I gave [Tyson] Fury a good fight, and I take pride in my work.”
The 33-year-old Wallin, one year younger than Joshua, is not known for his trash-talk. Yet, he has been bold on the microphone in the lead-up to this bout.
A split decision upset win over Murat Gassiev in September set the stage for the mega-fight on December 23, and Wallin is not backing down.
It even appears that Wallin is trying to avenge his amateur losses to Joshua in the pro game.
“Even my girlfriend told me, 'Hey, you talk a lot of trash.' I said, 'Did I really? It is just the truth.' She said, 'Well, yeah, the truth is not always what people want to hear.'
"I feel I am just telling the truth. I get the question and I answer them."
The highly-anticipated Day of Reckoning card, which also showcases Deontay Wilder in a bout against Joseph Parker, airs on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK, and ESPN+ PPV in the US.
