Day of Reckoning LIVE: Everything on the line for Joshua, Wilder as ‘biggest fight in the world’ looms

Otto Wallin and Joseph Parker will be looking to play spoiler on the biggest boxing card of the year, hoping to ruin plans for a fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

The highly-awaited bout, which Joshua said would be the “biggest fight in the world” in an interview with Sky Sports, appears to be on track for 2024 should both have their hand raised on Sunday morning in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua will be gunning for this third win from as many fights in 2023, having previously beat Jermaine Franklin Jr by unanimous decision in April before a seventh-round stoppage success against Robert Helenius in August.

“I know where I’m going in my life but I’ve got to say this is a checkpoint and if I don’t get past this, there is no future so I’m fully locked in to Otto Wallin and doing the job,” Joshua told reporters at Friday’s press conference.

Boxing: Day of Reckoning SUN 24th DEC 3AM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports

The only three losses of Joshua’s career have come to Andy Ruiz and current world champion Oleksandr Usyk (twice), while his opponent on Sunday has just the one professional defeat in his career, coming at the hands of Tyson Fury.

Wallin, a Swedish southpaw, described it as a “big fight and big opportunity” for him.

“I’m going to win the fight and it shouldn’t be an upset, it’s natural and it’s my time,” he said.

In the co-main event, Wilder — who has fought less than one professional round in the last two years — will hope ring rust won’t get the best of him against Kiwi Joseph Parker.

Parker boasts a 33-3 record with 23 knockouts and has only been stopped once in his career, going down to Joe Joyce in 2022.

The Kiwi has only improved from that point though, currently on a three-fight win streak with two coming by knockout.

Wilder though, who was has won 42 of his 46 fights by knockout, is promising to get the stoppage on Sunday.

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“I come to do what I do best, and that’s what the fans want to see, no one wants to see a 12-round fight and we are heavyweights and hard hitters, they wanna see us fight and then afterwards go party,” Wilder said.

“Nowadays my name is called Dr Sleep and I’ve definitely got the NyQuil in my right hand.”

There is plenty on the line for both Wilder and Joshua on Sunday, with a loss or injury the only two potential roadblocks to the pair facing off in the ring.

“Now the moment has come where it’s the closest that it’s ever been in history right now,” Wilder told Sky Sports.

“The closest that it’s ever been. I’m excited to say that. I’m not 100 percent sure that it’s going to happen. There’s a lot of things that has gone on, a lot of things that has been done.

“You can’t be 100 percent until that bell rings and that first punch has been thrown.”

While there will be plenty of attention on Wilder and Parker there are also two Australians in action on Sunday’s card.

First up will be Jai Opetaia, who had to give up his IBF cruiserweight world title in order to fight on Sunday.

Given Opetaia’s reaction to that decision you can guarantee he will be fired-up to make the opportunity count against Ellis Zorro in a cruiserweight battle on Sunday.

Meanwhile, later in the card, heavyweight underdog Mark De Mori fights Croatian Filip Hrgovic.

HOW TO WATCH

Boxing fans in Australia will be able to tune into the card via Main Event on Kayo Sports

Click HERE to order now!

START TIME

The Day of Reckoning card kicks off at 3am (AEDT).

WHEN IS IT

The biggest boxing card this year is on December 24.

FULL FIGHT CARD

Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin — heavyweight

Deontay Wilder v Joseph Parker — heavyweight

Filip Hrgovic v Mark De Mori (AUS) — heavyweight

Dmitry Bivol v Lyndon Arthur — for WBA light heavyweight title

Jai Opetaia (AUS) v Ellis Zorro — cruiserweight

Daniel Dubois v Jarrell Miller — heavyweight

Arslanbek Makhmudov v Agit Kabayel — heavyweight

Frank Sanchez v Junior Fa — heavyweight

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