Anthony Joshua said of Deontay Wilder that he “could rip him apart” after the Briton defeated Otto Wallin while the ‘Bronze Bomber’ lost to Joseph Parker.
Joshua forced Wallin into a stoppage between the fifth and sixth rounds after his corner threw in the towel, making it three wins from three in 2023 after he came back from back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk,.
Joshua had recruited Ben Davison for the fight against the Swede, and speaking after the fight he said it was his trainer who would give him the verdict on his showing.
He said: “I can’t rate my performance. Ben Davison, my performance team, I’ll leave it up to them.”
He then described it as, “just another fight. I respect Otto. Not so much a throwback fight, just another day in the office.”
Joshua said that he just wanted to be a victorious fighter for as long as possible.
“Victory by any means. Like Otto, you want to do whatever it takes to be victorious. That’s all I want to be.
“I was looking on the roster of heavyweights that have been on this card. I’ve fought Otto, fought Parker, was going to fight Baby Miller. I’ve been around the block.”
Asked about the finish to the fight, Joshua paid tribute to Wallin, before adding:
“It is all about your vision, your timing and your reaction. I am just a gifted fighter that has a special gift and I use it to the best of my ability. I work hard – extremely hard. And if it works, it works and today it was my day, thanks god.”
Turning to Wilder, who had attempted to heap the pressure on Joshua in the week before the fight, he said he did not watch the defeat to Parker, that throws their planned fight into disarray.
He said: “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.”
With Tyson Fury yet to fight Usyk for the undisputed status, there could be some wait for Joshua to get another shot at the title, though he may fight Filip Hrgovic to put himself in position for a chance.
Discussing becoming a three-time champion, he said: “That would be great. Every fight leads to a final destination. Keep on praying and working hard. I’ve got to stay focused because I’m on a journey and it’s hard.”
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn was effusive over his fighter.
He proclaimed: “He’s back, they told me, Ben Davison and his team, he’s back. He’s destroying people in sparring, he’s punching people so hard. I believe that Anthony Joshua is the best heavyweight in the world. That was a punch-perfect performance against Otto Wallin, [who] is an excellent heavyweight.
“He absolutely dispatched him. He broke him down, he broke his nose, he broke his body, he broke his eye. It was a stunning performance. I think he’s unbeatable, 2024 is going to be a massive year for him.”
Hearn believes that Croatian fighter Hrgovic is the next choice for a match-up as he anticipated the proposed Wilder fight now to be unlikely.
“It was a tough decision between the championship and Deontay Wilder,” he added. “He signed for Wilder, he lost tonight, that’s OK, it happens in boxing. Maybe it’s a blessing because really he wants championships, and now Otto Wallin is No. 2 in the division, it’s going to be Hrgovic against AJ for the world title to see him be a three-time world champion. Every heavyweight should be on notice, he’s back.”
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