Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin: Briton says he is ‘happy’ after weighing 13lb heavier than Swede

Anthony Joshua boasted a 13lb advantage over Otto Wallin as the British boxer weighed in for Saturday’s must-win heavyweight contest.

Joshua, 34, cut a lean and muscular figure, weighing in at 17st 13lb.

A win over Sweden’s Wallin at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia could set up the long-awaited contest against Deontay Wilder.

“Let me focus on what I’ve got to focus on. Without Saturday night, there’s no future,” Joshua said.

American Wilder will face fellow former world champion Joseph Parker in Saturday’s co-main event.

Saudi organisers are targeting 9 March in Riyadh for Joshua-Wilder if neither fighter suffers injury or a defeat.

“We know there’s a proposed date in March’ for AJ-Wilder,” promoter Eddie Hearn said. “But they’ve got to win, but win well without any damage. We’ll see after tomorrow night.”

Despite the magnitude of this card and what is at stake for heavyweight boxing, the weigh-in – as with all fight week events – was closed to the public.

With his hood up, Joshua swaggered to the stage, keeping focus firmly on Wallin. He saluted and acknowledged friends, family and the media watching on.

The weigh-in was strictly business for Joshua, a veteran of so many big fight nights. He kept his hands in his pockets in a head-to-head which culminated with a mutual nod of the head in respect.

The 33-year-old Wallin has been in confident mood all week, promising to deliver an upset against a man who he lost to twice as an amateur.

“I’m a smart fighter. I’m a southpaw,” he said. “I trained for this moment for a very long time. I’m very much ready for it.

“Tomorrow there’s going to be a new king and he’s from Sweden.”

With his tall and athletic frame, Wilder, 38, towered over 31-year-old Parker but weighed in low at just 15st 3lb. New Zealand’s Parker is 17st 1lb.

The American looked calm and composed, ending his interview by screaming his trademark “bomb squad” catchphrase. His coach Malik Scott said his fighter was at the optimum weight to deliver a knockout.

Parker’s trainer, Andy Lee, also promised a stoppage win. “Fight fire with fire. Let your hands go. We expect it [a knockout],” he said, to which Wilder replied: “Bam baby, goodnight.”

Briton Lyndon Arthur weighed in under the light-heavyweight limit for his world-title shot against Russia’s WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol on the undercard. British cruiserweight Ellis Zorro – who challenges Australian Jai Opetaia – also came in on weight.

American Jarrell Miller and Britain’s Daniel Dubois clashed in the head-to-head following their weigh-in.

Nicknamed ‘Big Baby’, Miller, 35,hit the scales at an astonishing 23st 11lb, significantly heavier than Dubois who weighed 17st 1lb.

With security already poised to intervene, American Miller pushed 26-year-old Dubois in the chest. The aggrieved Londoner tried to get past security as a foul-mouth Miller shouted obscenities towards his upcoming opponent.

“I’m ready to fight. I’ll see him in the ring,” Dubois said. “I’m not worried about none of that.”

The Kingdom Arena was lit up by camera flashes and billboards of fighters, with a DJ playing dance tracks. Yet, without fans, it lacked any real atmosphere. Perhaps an outdoor setting with natural footfall would have been better. Maybe there was an opportunity to invite local schoolchildren or young boxers to attend. Or perhaps the interest from locals is just not there.

The Tyson Fury v Francis Ngannou weigh-in in October was also strictly media-only but made up by a large number of boxing hall of famers in attendance. This close to Christmas, and with a card put together in just five weeks, there was a more mellow vibe on Friday.

The uncertainty of whether a fighter could miss weight was mostly redundant – six of the eight fights on the card all involved heavyweights.

The Saudi hosts appear to be more fixated on hosting the higher weight classes with the prestige, and higher chance of a knockout, it brings. The total weight of all the three main heavyweight fights was an astonishing 1519lbs (108st 7lbs.)

A sport often dominated by the ego and pride of its competitors, fight week has shown who is the ‘A’ side of this star-studded card; AJ is at the heart of several narratives running through the bill. When he came on stage, the excitement peaked.

A showdown with Wilder is in touching distance and there is a nicely simmered rivalry with Wallin. Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic fights on the undercard, and the IBF mandatory challenger could take on Joshua for a vacant title next year.

And then there is Miller, who up until the past two days had been more focused on trash talking and goading Joshua rather than concentrating on Dubois.

There are plenty of options for star attraction Joshua. But it all becomes irrelevant if the two-time world champion is defeated on Saturday.