Anthony Joshua has been advised to target Tyson Fury's body when the British rivals finally clash later this year. Otto Wallin, who has faced both men in the ring, believes that Joshua's best path to victory lies in a sustained assault on Fury's midsection.
Wallin's analysis
Wallin, who lost to Fury in 2019 and to Joshua in 2023, shared his insights with Hajper. He noted that Fury's recent performance against Arslanbek Makhmudov was not impressive, and that Fury sometimes struggles against lesser opponents. 'Joshua can make it an interesting fight by going to the body,' Wallin said. 'He needs to use what he’s good at. I really think he should just bang Fury’s body to slow him down. Joshua punches very hard, and if he can land some good body shots, I think that would make a good difference.'
Joshua's strengths
Wallin emphasised that Joshua should not chase Fury's head but instead focus on body shots. 'I think it’s his best chance of winning in general, because he shouldn’t be chasing Fury’s head. I think he really needs to bang the body, because he throws good body shots when he uses them.' Wallin acknowledged that Fury is likely the favourite but insisted that Joshua should not be underestimated. 'He’s very sharp. He has pretty fast feet and fast hands, and he’s very powerful. So if he can land some good shots, it will definitely be a very interesting fight, and a fight that he can win also.'
Fury's vulnerabilities
Wallin also pointed out flaws in Fury's game, particularly his tendency to move straight back, which could be exploited by Joshua. 'I think Fury, sometimes, is unpredictable with how he’s going to perform. He had been out of the ring for a while, and it looked a little bit off. He was fighting a big guy too. Not easy, but Fury has some things he’s got to tighten up a little bit on. He moves straight back a lot, so he’s got to be careful with that against Joshua.'
The long-awaited showdown between Joshua and Fury is scheduled for November, assuming Joshua comes through his warm-up fight against Kristian Prenga in July. Fury will likely enter as the favourite, but Wallin believes that with the right strategy, Joshua can make it a close contest.
