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Dmitry Salita says Otto Wallin the next best option for Anthony Joshua if Oleksandr Usyk fight delayed

Joshua has a contractual rematch clause with Usyk, but with the ongoing situation with the Ukraine it’s unknown when that fight could happen.

Salita believes Wallin has the skill and the experience to beat Joshua.
Salita believes Wallin has the skill and the experience to beat Joshua.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

With things currently at an indefinite stand-still for the heavyweight title rematch between Oleksandr Uysk and Anthony Joshua, with Usyk having joined an armed resistance group in his home country of Ukraine to fend off a Russian invasion — promoter Dmitry Salita takes an opportunity to throw Otto Wallin’s name out there to Sky Sports as an alternative fight for Joshua should the Usyk rematch not be possible.

Salita says a fight between Joshua and Wallin would be the most interesting fight to make aside from the Usyk rematch considering that Wallin had more success against Tyson Fury than most other opponents.

“I believe Otto has all the skills, confidence - and with the last fight - the experience of fighting on UK soil to beat Joshua. If the fight with Usyk does not happen Wallin vs Joshua is the most intriguing fight in the heavyweight division. And obviously the cancellation of the Whyte fight with Otto made him that much more hungry for the spot at the top of the heavyweight division.”

That being said, Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has recently said in public that both he and Joshua were going to be respectful to Usyk during this time of crisis, and that they’re not really interested in pursuing any other fight than the one that could get him his unified titles back, even if that could take longer than expected.

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