Tyson Fury’s next opponent Otto Wallin is insisting that the criticism he received from the former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua isn’t bothering him.
Wallin, an unknown fighter just a month ago, is set to fight another former unified world heavyweight king – Tyson Fury on September 14 in Las Vegas. The undefeated Swedish is gonna be the warm-up fight for “The Gypsy King” before his highly anticipated rematch with Deontay Wilder in 2020.
Fury received a lot of criticism for choosing the 28-year-old Wallin instead fighters like Kubrat Pulev or Adam Kownacki. Anthony Joshua also spoke on the topic, stating that nobody will allow him to fight Otto Wallin.
“I fought Wallin as an amateur. These guys are cream of the crop, they shouldn’t be fighting them type of people… I can’t fight Wallin, don’t think I can ever fight lower-tier heavyweights”, Joshua said.
Now, Wallin has responded by telling BBC Sport: “I don’t care too much. He probably means I haven’t been at that elite level.
“I haven’t been at the elite level in fights but I have sparred big names and know I am at their level – Anthony Joshua, Kubrat Pulev, Adam Kownacki, Jarrell Miller, all different guys, and I know I am on this level.
“I am not worried about that, it’s just that people haven’t seen. Anthony knows I am a good fighter. Yes, it helps a little with motivation. I have no pressure at all – I can only go in there and do my best.”
