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ANTHONY JOSHUA is set to face Otto Wallin next – but it’s not the first time he’s faced the Swede.
AJ is looking to build on his KO win over Robert Helenius last time out, following his consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
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Instagram @ottowallinThe British boxer, 34, fought Wallin twice before the pair made it to the professional circuit.
The two clashes came in 2010 and 2011, with AJ coming out on top in both bouts on points.
As an amateur, young Joshua defeated Wallin in the final of the 2010 Haringey Box Cup.
He then claimed his second win over Wallin at the International Amateur Boxing Tournament and joined the GB Olympic squad shortly after.
But their relationship goes further than that.
The Swede, 32, clearly made an impression on AJ, who drafted the southpaw in as a sparring partner before his IBF world title fight against Charles Martin in 2016.
The two shared a picture together at the Sheffield Institute of Sport and the snap was shared on Wallin’s Instagram account.
Since then, the Swedish heavyweight has won 26 fights of his 28 fights, with his only loss coming at hands of Tyson Fury.
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Wallin, ranked IBF No.2, is known for giving WBC champion Tyson Fury one of the biggest scares of his career back in 2019.
His huge left hook left a gaping cut above Fury’s eye during their 12-round bout in Vegas, and Gypsy King required 47 stitches.
Fury had to step up his attack, and worked his way into a points win.
Wallin has won six on the spin since then, with some respectable names beaten, such as Murat Gassiev in his last fight in September.
Having struggled with lefties in the past, however, Joshua will need to be on his A-game against Wallin if he wants to fight for a world title again.
The fight will likely to take place on Saturday, December 23, with an announcement reportedly imminent.
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