The Ring magazine will be well represented at the blockbuster ‘Day of Reckoning’ eight-fight card at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night.
Six of The Ring’s top 10 rated heavyweights will be in action, while the other two bouts will feature The Ring’s cruiserweight champion and their number one ranked light heavyweight.
Topping the card, former two-time WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 26-3 (23) will meet Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin 26-1 (14).
“I’m here to fight, I’m not here to party and get caught up in the glitz and glamour,” Joshua said. “I want to fight. I want to perform well. I put that pressure on myself. Of course I’m tense because I want to perform. I want to win. I’ve got that urge to win. I want to hurt my opponent as well.”
“People talking about upsets, I’m going to win the fight and you shouldn’t call it an upset,” Wallin said. “It’s not really an upset, it’s just natural. This is my time so I’m ready for it… he used to be a happy guy but from what I see now he seems very stiff and tense. Maybe he’s fed up with all of this stuff.”
In the co-main effort former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder 43-2-1 (42) will clash with former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker 33-3 (23).
“I come here to do what I do best and give the fans what they want to see,” Wilder said. “At the end of the day, no one wants to see a twelve-round fight… Don’t blink.
“I’m gonna give you what you want to see. Nowadays I’m called Dr Sleep and I definitely got the NyQuil in the right hand so I hope you bring a pillow and a blanket.”
“He’s a tough kid, but I know I can knock him out. 100 percent,” Parker said.
In a crossroads bout, Daniel ‘Dynamite’ Dubois 19-2 (18) will lock horns with Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller 26-0-1 (22).
“Yo, Big Baby. Every baby has a daddy and I’m gonna beat you like I’m your daddy!” Dubois said.
Miller replied: “I’m gonna cook this shrimp. The two-time quitter.”
WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol 21-0 (11) will defend his belt against Lyndon Arthur 23-1 (16).
“Everything is possible but I’m not usually focused on a knockout because it distracts me from my plan,” Bivol said. “Of course, if I see the moment I will use this moment. I’m not a fighter who only thinks about one punch. I like to enjoy the process. I like to follow my tactics.”
Arthur said: “I’m enjoying it and I’m looking forward to Saturday… I don’t believe nobody has seen the best of me yet.”
Ring Magazine cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia 23-0 (18) will face Ellis Zorro 17-0 (7).
“Putting the politics aside and the best fight the best,” Opetaia said. “This is a massive change and the name Opetaia will have its print on it. I’m here to make a statement… man, I’m ready to go to war.”
“I’m just focused on Saturday at the moment,” Ellis said. “Like I’ve been saying all week, it’s a massive opportunity for me and I’m going to take it with both hands.”
Other heavyweight action features further down the card. Frank Sanchez 23-0 (16) will battle Junior Fa 20-2 (11), Filip Hrgovic 16-0 (13) has been matched with Mark De Mori 41-2-2 (36) and in the opener Arslanbek Makhmudov 18-0 (17) will clash with Agit Kabayel 23-0 (15).
“I’m coming here to win. If a knockout comes, it comes.” Sanchez said.
“I’m gonna bring the best version of myself and get him out of there… win by any means necessary,” Fa said.
“I had planned with this guy to let him box for a few rounds, but because of his nasty words, I will nee to punish him earlier… I need to punish this guy really, really bad. Like he stole something,” Hrgovic said.
“It’s a ten round scheduled fight,” De Mori said. “I’ve got absolutely no desire to go ten rounds. I’ve got the arms of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, I’m not gonna out-jab him. I’m gonna get in close and I’m gonna try and break him in half.”
“I’m ready. That’s why I’m here. I need this kind of fight. I need this kind of opponent. I respect him, but Saturday I’ll go there to destroy like I usually do. That’s my job, Makhmudov said.
“This is the biggest challenge of my career,” Kabayel. “I respect Arslanbek. He’s a good opponent, a strong guy. I think I’m also the biggest challenge in his career.”