Bad news for ex-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua: If the IBF title becomes vacant after the fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, the Englishman will not have a chance immediately. Instead, a former Fury opponent has a chance at the title.
The world association IBF has updated its ranking of the best 15 heavyweights and filled the previously open second place. Behind the Croatian Filip Hrgovic, but ahead of Joshua, Otto Wallin is now second in the organization founded in 1983. Just two weeks ago in Antalya, Wallin narrowly defeated former cruiserweight world champion Murat Gassiev on points over twelve rounds. For this, the IBF promoted him.
Wallin first made a name for himself in 2019 when he delivered a courageous fight to Tyson Fury in Las Vegas. The southpaw gave the superstar a deep cut above the right eye. Fury was lucky that the fight wasn’t stopped, otherwise he would have lost by TKO.
In the final round, Wallin also rang the “Gypsy King”, but in the end he lost unanimously on points. Since then, the 1.97 meter giant has won six fights in a row.
Wallin has a title fight at the IBF. Because: According to “ESPN”, Fury and Usyk agreed to a rematch clause in the contract for their fight for all world championship belts, which obliges them to take direct revenge. However, the IBF has ordered that the undisputed world champion must immediately defend the red belt against the number one in its ranking. Otherwise the champion will be stripped of his title.
The undefeated Hrgovic and Wallin would then fight for the then vacant IBF crown – Joshua was number three.
“AJ” promoter Eddie Heran had flirted with the IBF option for his protégé – also because negotiations for a fight between Joshua and former world champion Deontay Wilder were difficult.