LONDON: Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder will fight on the same night in Saudi Arabia on December 23, but against different opponents in Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker, respectively.
Former heavyweight champions Joshua and Wilder have long been touted for a bout despite both losing their world titles.
If both win their fights next month, it could finally pave the way for a meeting in early 2024.
Britain’s Joshua will take on Swede Wallin after Wilder faces Parker on the undercard.
“I can’t predict the future but I know where I want to go, I know what I want to do,” Joshua told a press conference.
“I set out a plan at the start of this year and I’m sticking to that. I’m a man of my word and I stand firm on what I believe, and I believe I want to be three-time heavyweight champion of the world.
“And my first stop to that... Is putting on a demolishing job against Otto Wallin.”
Joshua lost his heavyweight belts to Oleksandr Usyk, while Wilder was defeated twice by Tyson Fury.
Wilder has not fought since a first-round knockout victory over Finland’s Robert Helenius in October 2022.
Joshua also knocked out Helenius in the seventh round in his last bout in August.
Usyk and Fury were expected to headline the December 23 card in an undisputed clash, but that meeting was postponed following Fury’s controversial points win over MMA star Francis Ngannou.
Joshua, Wilder to fight different opponents on same night in Riyadh
https://arab.news/r97u5
Joshua, Wilder to fight different opponents on same night in Riyadh
- Britain’s Joshua will take on Swede Wallin after Wilder faces Parker on the undercard
- If both win their fights next month, it could finally pave the way for a meeting in early 2024
Supersub strikes again as Sesko gives Man United win at Everton
- The defeat was a blow to Everton’s hopes of a place in next year’s European competitions and left it languishing in ninth, behind Brentford and Bournemouth
LIVERPOOL, England: Manchester United supersub Benjamin Sesko scored 13 minutes after entering the field to give his side a 1-0 win over Everton in the Premier League on Monday.
It was the third time in four games that Sesko has scored after coming off the bench and secured points for United.
“I believe in me and so do the other players as well,” Sesko told Sky Sports. “They know what they are going to get when I arrive in the game. It’s up to me to deliver of course.”
His goal with 19 minutes remaining finished off the slickest move of an otherwise stodgy game.
Bryan Mbeumo controlled Matheus Cunha’s superb long ball and played a perfectly weighted pass to the feet of Sesko, who steered the ball past Jordan Pickford with aplomb.
“It was a great finish,” United interim coach Michael Carrick said. “It was a ruthless finish. I liked the way he put it away with real confidence. It was great play from Cunha and Mbeumo to set it up and we are dangerous on the break.”
Until then defenses had been on top and the lack of attacking fluency was not helped by a heavy pitch that appeared to slow down both teams.
The result took fourth-placed United three points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool. United was three behind Aston Villa.
It also extended Carrick’s unbeaten run to six games since he replaced Ruben Amorim on Jan. 13.
The defeat was a blow to Everton’s hopes of a place in next year’s European competitions and left it languishing in ninth, behind Brentford and Bournemouth and eight points adrift of Chelsea and Liverpool.
David Moyes’ men have gone seven games without a win at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
“Generally we did very well in lots of bits,” Moyes said. “We got done on the counterattack and they ran away and got the goal that was there. We put in a great effort to get the goal but lacked the quality to make it count.”
