The coach of Wilder identified the principal issue for Joshua before the bout with Wallin
The coach of Deontay Wilder, Malik Scott, shared his expectations ahead of the bout between Anthony Joshua and Otto Wallin.
According to Scott, A.J. is the favorite for the match. However, the Briton risks defeat if he hasn't learned from his recent fights, where his performances were unconvincing.
"Wallin has got the tools to make life difficult for anybody, but if I was a betting man, I would bet on AJ getting the job done. But if he's standing around and waiting, and he's in his own head, he's going to have an identity crisis right there in the ring and Wallin will walk away with the victory if any of that happens. AJ has to be liberated with his mindset. The more liberated he is then the more fun he's having. But we haven’t seen that AJ in a while and that’s because of the pressure.
If Anthony Joshua fights Otto Wallin in the same way that he fought Robert Helenius then Wallin’s going to win. If he had fought Deontay in the way that he fought Helenius, Anthony Joshua would have gone to sleep within three rounds. Based on AJ’s performance against Helenius, I don't know even if he'd have beaten Dillian Whyte. A motivated and in-shape Whyte would have probably beaten Anthony Joshua that night. When he wants to be, Anthony Joshua is a powerhouse, he's got speed, and he puts his punches together in a way you very rarely see for a man his size. But I don't know the last time I've seen that." told Scott.
The Joshua versus Wallin fight will be the highlight of the boxing night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In another significant match of the night, American Deontay Wilder will face off against New Zealander Joseph Parker. If both Joshua and Wilder emerge victorious from their respective bouts, they are anticipated to face each other in the future.
The boxing night in Riyadh is scheduled for today, December 23. The live broadcast of the event will commence at 6:00 PM Central European Time, with the main bout expected around midnight.
Liam Carter
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
