A slightly deeper look at Otto Wallin!
On September 14 in Las Vegas, Tyson Fury (28-0-1, 20KO) faces off against Otto Wallin (20-0, 13KO) in what is Fury’s continued attempt to push and make inroads into the American sports market.
For the little known Wallin, the fight against a former unified heavyweight champion represents the biggest opportunity of his career!
For boxing fans (even the most ardent hardcore watchers), the question during the lead-up to this fight has been “Otto who?! Wallin what?!”
Fury and Bob Arum of Top Rank/ESPN have been pumping up the fact that Wallin is undefeated and ranked 4th by the WBA. However, the question still remains, what do we truly know about the Mr. Wallin?
Who the Hell is Otto Wallin?
We at 3KingsBoxing take pride in doing our due diligence and providing as much research as we can about any and all fighters. So with that said, here’s what you may not know about Mr. Wallin.
Truthfully there is not much substance when it comes to the undefeated fighter out of Sweden and his accomplishments in the ring.
The 28-year old southpaw was introduced to the sport by his father Carl; himself a former boxer who unfortunately passed away in May from a heart attack.
A multi-sport athlete as a kid (ice hockey and soccer), Wallin started boxing at age 15.
After a non-distinct 34-12 amateur record which included two defeats at the hands of former unified champion Anthony Joshua, Wallin decided to embark on a professional career in June 2013 at age 22.
A look at Wallin’s opponents is well, not impressive. In fact his list of fighters he’s sparred against is more notable than anyone he’s fought in a professional bout.
Under the tutelage of former super featherweight and lightweight world champion Joey Gamache for the last four years, he sparred the likes of Jarrell Miller, Kubrat Pulev and according to Wallin he’s sparred close to 200 rounds with Anthony Joshua.
Notable Achievements
Wallin did accomplish a bit more than many fighters in the sport that would elevate him above being the “average” journeyman or underachieving prospect.
In April 2017, he picked up the WBA Continental title after stopping Gianluca Mandras in five rounds.
Two fights and a little over a year later, he picked up the EBU title in the biggest win of his career after out-pointing Adrian Granat.
Not necessarily the names or accolades one would expect to have to get the call against the likes of Fury, however, he has achieved more than Francisco Pianeta and Sefer Seferi!
A Thwarted Opportunity
On April 13, he had an opportunity to show the world his worth. He would appear on the under-card of the Showtime televised undisputed bout between Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be the “coming out party” that was intended.
In just one round completed with minimal work produced, an accidental head-butt would end the bout. The resulting cut would render his opponent unable to continue causing the bout to be ruled a “no contest.”
A showcase bout for an American debut and what could have been viable footage to help his case for deserving a fight with Fury, ended up being absolutely useless.
Therefore, I guess we will actually see who Wallin is in the ring September 14. Unfortunately for him, his showcase fight ended up being against ARGUABLY the best fighter in the division!
By: Michael Wilson Jr & EJ Williams
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