Otto Wallin – set for perhaps the biggest fight of his career – has named who he thinks is the best heavyweight in the world.
Wallin himself is hoping to be inserted into that discussion with his next fight. It comes against Anthony Joshua on a huge night of boxing in Saudia Arabia on December 23.
A win over the two-time world champion could be the fight he has been looking for ever since pushing Tyson Fury much harder than anyone expected when the pair met at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas back in 2019.
The 32-year-old Swedish southpaw ultimately lost a unanimous points decision, but not before inflicting a huge cut above Fury’s right eye which later required 47 stitches.
Wallin has since been on a six-fight winning streak with victories over former cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev and sometime Joshua opponent Dominic Breazeale.
Speaking to talkSport, he was asked how good Fury was.
“He is a very good fighter. I think he is the best heavyweight out there.”
Despite that, Wallin added a caveat and claimed Fury isn’t infallible.
“At the same time, I don’t think he’s a Floyd Mayweather or André Ward. He’s a good fighter but he’s there to be beaten.”
Fury is a two-time undefeated heavyweight champion who has beaten the likes of Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, and is one fight away from becoming the first undisputed titleholder since Lennox Lewis.
The man who stands in the way, Oleksandr Usyk ,will be hoping that Wallin’s assessment when the pair come to blows in their historic match-up in Saudi Arabia on February 17 2024.