December 24th 2023.
Joshua was victorious while Wilder fell short in Saudi Arabia - Anthony Joshua made a triumphant return to the ring in Saudi Arabia, dominating Otto Wallin from the opening bell to secure a fifth-round TKO victory. It was a ruthless display from Joshua, who rolled back the years and proved he is still one of the best heavyweights in the world.
The long-awaited meeting with Deontay Wilder had been tipped to be next on the cards for Joshua, but the American suffered a shock defeat earlier in the night to Joseph Parker. Despite this, Joshua says he hasn't ruled out a future fight with Wilder.
Speaking to DAZN after his victory, Joshua said: "No, why would it? Look at Dubois this evening. He's come back. Keep on pushing, keep on striving, you can do anything and we can fight another day. I'm sure everyone wants to see that fight."
Joshua was going through his final preparations while Wilder was losing to Parker and says he was not watching as the New Zealander provided the biggest shock of the night. He added: "I wasn't watching, I just focused on myself. I know how important it was for me. I heard that Deontay lost. So what? He'll be back. Deontay, everything that he said about me, I could rip him apart right now, but I'm going to take the higher ground."
The Briton also praised Wallin, whose only other professional defeat came at the hands of Tyson Fury in 2019 and paid tribute to Ben Davison, who was brought into Joshua's coaching team ahead of the fight. He said: "Otto is a true warrior. The corner plays a huge role so their fighter can live to fight another day. I'm a gifted fighter and I use my gift. I'm searching for greatness. Ben Davison is a great addition to my goal. I'm sure you can see that today."
From his victory over Wallin, it appears that Joshua is still on his journey towards greatness. The future of his potential fight with Wilder remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Joshua won't be ruling out a future clash with the American anytime soon.
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