Anthony Joshua completed a strong comeback year with a five-round TKO victory over fellow heavyweight contender Otto Wallin in the main event of the anticipated Day of Reckoning show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Joshua (27-3, 23 KOs), won his third bout of 2023, rebounding from back-to-back decision losses to Ring champ Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022, and looked sharp doing so. In Wallin (21-2, 14 KOs), The Ring’s No. 10-rated heavyweight, the No. 2-rated Joshua faced a capable opponent. Wallin’s only previous pro loss was a competitive 12-round decision to Tyson Fury in 2019, and the 33-year-old Swedish southpaw was on a six-bout win streak.

Thus, a confident Wallin had no problem standing his ground against Joshua until the 34-year-old British superstar gave him a problem with a crisp and accurate right cross-left hook combination 2 minutes into Round 5. Wallin managed to remain upright but was on wobbly legs as Joshua calmly walked him down with jabs and right hands to the body. Wallin’s corner saved him from the inevitable by calling the fight off seconds after the fifth round ended.

Through four rounds, it was an even battle of jabs with Joshua looking to land his right and Wallin trying to connect with his left. Joshua was poised, technically sound and focused as he took command of the center of the ring in each round.

What happens next is anyone’s guess. The plan was for Joshua to battle longtime American rival Deontay Wilder in March, but the 38-year-old KO artist was upset by Joseph Parker in the co-featured bout of the Day of Reckoning event, and the Alabama native did not look good going 12 rounds with Joshua’s former foe.

There isn’t much interest in a Joshua-Parker rematch, but the next massive event to be hosted in Riyadh is the long-awaited Usyk vs. Fury undisputed championship on February 17. Should Fury win that showdown, the biggest fight to be made in boxing will be Fury vs. Joshua, a matchup of the most celebrated British heavyweights of the modern era, a fight that belongs in Britain but would most likely land in Saudi Arabia.

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and join him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and friends via Tom’s or Doug’s IG Live most Sundays.

Follow Dougiefischer

READ THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE RING FOR FREE VIA THE NEW APP NOW. SUBSCRIBE NOW TO ACCESS MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF BACK ISSUES.