Otto Wallin is hoping victory over Dillian Whyte. The heavyweight clash is scheduled for later this year and is a tricket for world title fights.
The New York-based Swede gave Tyson Fury a tough time over 12 rounds back in 2019 in Las Vegas and he meets Whyte in London’s O2 Arena on October 30.
“It’s what I wanted and I’m thankful that I got it,” said the 22-1 (14) southpaw. “I was expecting to fight in July and then it just kept getting pushed back and this and that, then this fight came and it was perfect timing.”
Whyte still starts as favourite.
“He’s kind of a brawler but he can box a little bit too,” said Wallin. “He’s got a good left hook and he’s a good body puncher so those are things I’ve got to be aware of. [But] I think that in the long run it takes a toll to have hard fights like that. He’s been knocked out twice and he’s taken a lot of punishment and he’s been hurt in different fights. At the same time, he wants to fight for the title – he almost should have had a shot at the WBC title already but you’ve got to be smart in boxing and it is a sport where you take damage.”
“I think he’s a good fighter, he’s highly ranked,” he continued, assessing Whyte. “He’s been in a lot of tough fights and honestly I think he’s been aging a little bit lately. He’s been in many wars and he’s a good fighter but I think I’m better. I’ve got a lot of tools to work with, I’m intelligent and I’m fresh, so I think that’s to my advantage.”
Wallin’s also looking forward to another big night.
“Yes, for sure,” Otto admitted. “There were a lot of questions before that and I got a lot of answers so it was really good. I know I can perform on a high level and I’ve had a couple of fights after that and I feel like I’m getting better all the time. I feel like I’m learning with every fight, so I think this fight is coming at a good time. I think even from the Breazeale fight I’m aware of a lot of things I can do better. I’m in a good spot right now.”
He’s with trainer Joey Gamache, the former lightweight champ, and they have formed a close relationship over several years.
“We met in 2013 when we were training in Denmark,” recalled Wallin. “We were there for about four years and we’ve been in New York now for the last four years and it’s going great. He’s been very important for my career and without him I don’t think I would be here. I remember when I first met him there were just things that I agreed on. I’d been to Germany before, when I first turned pro I had two fights over there, and there was something with Joey I just agreed with. I’d watched a lot of boxing growing up and then when I went to Germany, we [his former coaches] didn’t really get along on the style but when I met Joey it clicked between us. If he tries to teach you something he can explain it and show you what’s been working in different fights and I think that’s very important, to have someone who can explain why we work on something rather than just say, ‘Hey, you’ve got do this.’”
Find the full interview HERE.
