Joshua and Wilder get opponents for mega bouts in December

With confirmation that both Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are set to fight on the same card on December 23, opponents for each man have now been reported.

The two former champions have struggled to get their own contest across the line, but this co-feature might just seal the deal should both come through with a victory.

Following the spectacle that was Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou to open Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia, the boxing businessmen in the country are keen to push on with one more event this year.

Originally planned for a Fury and Oleksandr Usyk undisputed bout, that has been pushed back until February given Fury didn’t get through Ngannou as easily or quickly as most expected him to.

Enter Joshua and Wilder, who are both looking to finalise deals and may do in the next 48 hours.

Dan Rafael – who originally broke the news of the card – has now revealed that Otto Wallin has been lined up for Joshua whilst Joseph Parker will be in the opposite corner from Wilder.

Wallin is a Swedish southpaw with one decision loss on his record coming at the hands of Fury, although he proved a tough test, cutting the Brit via a punch and almost ending the contest in his favour.

Since then he has built up five victories, the most recent of which came over Murat Gassiev this year and secured him the number two spot in the IBF rankings. Joshua is currently number three, and moving one up could mean a vacant title fight in 2024 if the Fury-Usyk winner is stripped.

Parker – a former world champion himself – would make a real step up in recent competition should he face Wilder, even if the American has been out of the ring for over a year.

Now trained by Andy Lee, the New Zealander is on a three-fight win streak following a third career loss against Joe Joyce in 2022. He previously came up short against Joshua and Dillian Whyte.