Otto Wallin Barely Breaks a Sweat in Punishing Bout Versus Rydell Booker
At the Ford Community Center in Dearborn, Michigan, Otto Wallin (24-1, 14 KOs) faced Rydell Booker (26-6-1, 13 KOs) in a ten-round heavyweight contest. Wallin’s claim to fame came in September 2019, when he lost a decision to current WBC heavyweight king Tyson Fury. But in defeat, Wallin gave an excellent account of himself and made headlines by opening a cut on Fury that required 47-stitches to heal. The southpaw from Sundsvall, Sweden has rebounded with three consecutive wins.
Ranked #10 by the WBC, Wallin looked to stay sharp and in the heavyweight picture by fighting Booker, the definition of a veteran. Beginning his pro career in 2001, he has been in the ring against ex-cruiserweight champions Uriah Grant and Arthur Williams, multi-division world champion James Toney, and two-time heavyweight world title challenger Kubrat Pulev. Now at age 41, the native of Detroit, Michigan continues to plug along, hoping to play spoiler.
AN EASY NIGHT AT THE OFFICE
Wallin was the prohibitive favorite going in, and he showed why he was the oddsmaker’s choice during the lead-up. Fighting in his home state, Booker started the fight reasonably well as he was able to hold his younger, fresher foe in the opening three rounds. But as the rounds went along, Wallin started to gain control.
The big man from Sweden dominated the action at the midway point-on. With his severe lack of conditioning combined with his age, Booker could do next to nothing to respond. Over time, this looked like a glorified sparring session. Booker was reduced to being a real-life punching bag, just eating punches in the final rounds.
This one was not difficult to score as the judges had it for Wallin by easy unanimous decision (99-91×2, 100-90). After the fight, the victor said his goal is to win a world title. However, can he work himself into a position to get his much-coveted title shot? He has some cache based on his performance against Fury. The problem is, he’s not a big draw. What does he truly offer to entice any of the world champions or the big fish in the division to face him? The harsh reality is that he has to keep plugging away as he looks very much like an outside man looking in.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
