Otto Wallin’s career was shaped by one pivotal night.
Nearly five years ago, Sweden’s Wallin stepped into the ring with Tyson Fury at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and gave the once and future heavyweight champion the toughest fight of his career. his Fury walked away with slitted eyes and a lot of fear. But it was also a unanimous victory.
Fury 34-1-1 (24 KO) is now preparing for his match against Oleksandr Usyk 22-0 (14 KO) on Saturday in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia Wallin can’t help but think back to himself. Experience in the ring with “The Gypsy King”
Wallin, 27-2 (15 KO), currently trains from New York City. is gearing up for his own big fight on February 8th, where he will face Derek Chisora at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, and what he learned from his fight with Fury. who was his first main opponent Still stuck with him
“As everyone saw He’s awkward,” Wallin, 34, said of Fury. “He’s big, but he boxes really well. What I took away from our fight was how well he adapted. The first half of my fight was very successful. But in the second half he understood me and took over. He is very good at changing during battles.”
How does he see Fury approaching Usyk in the rematch? Wallin admits it’s hard to predict.
“I don’t know. He might be out boxing or he might be trying to be aggressive,” Wallin said. “To be honest, I’m not even sure he knows.”
Wallin also shared his thoughts on Usyk, who continues to impress in the heavyweight division. Even though he started his career as a cruiser.
“I think Usyk will probably gain more confidence from the first fight,” Wallin said. “He’s a really smart, talented fighter. I still think he’s stronger. I think he hurt Fury in the first fight.”
Even though the world’s attention was on Fury and Usyk, Wallin was focused on his own work. He was facing the experienced Chisora. A 40-year-old veteran with a record of 35-13 (23 KO), Chisora, who recently defeated Joe Joyce, remains a threat. Wallin knows what’s at stake.
“What I took away from the Fury fight was experience,” Wallin said. “Just going 12 rounds against one of the best and going through the whole process of fighting a big fight, it taught me a lot. Since then. I had a great time and difficult times But it’s all a learning experience. I feel ready for this fight.”
For Wallin, every fight is another step towards his ultimate goal. After he lost to Anthony Joshua last year A win over Chisora could open the door to even bigger opportunities in a major fight. which was something that pleased him.
“I think it’s amazing,” Wallin said. “Growing up I dreamed of fighting like this. And now I’m living I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. But right now it’s about getting ready, winning this fight and hopefully earning even bigger results after that.”
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
