Otto Wallin’s promoter Dmitriy Salita is keen for his heavyweight to face former world champion Andy Ruiz Jr.
Wallin triumphed over Dominic Breazeale in February giving him two wins on the trot since losing to WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in September 2019. That non-title fight raised the profile of the Swede significantly who turned in a career best performance. Wallin still harbours hopes of a rematch one day but the 30-year-old southpaw needs to gain a world ranking to begin making moves for a first crack at a world title.
“Beating Breazeale the way he [Wallin] did shows how much he has improved since the Fury fight,” Salita told Sky Sports.
“I am sure his size, skills and devotion to his craft is making world class fighters think twice about sharing the ring with him.”
The slimmed down version of Andy Ruiz Jr returned to winning ways in May in an all-Mexican heavyweight clash with veteran Chris Arreola. Ruiz Jr encountered some sticky moments but was the clear winner on the cards and gave him his first win since losing his three world titles in a rematch against Anthony Joshua in 2019.
Ruiz Jr has top five spots with three of the four governing bodies and has been linked to a fight with WBC Interim champion Dillian Whyte, but Salita says a fight between Wallin and Ruiz Jr ‘makes sense’.
“Otto and Andy gave the toughest challenge to two of the current world heavyweight champions. It makes sense for them to fight, especially if Tyson Fury fights Anthony Joshua [in and undisputed world title fight].”