Yahoo Lifestyle Tyson Fury to face Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin in September
Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight champion, is set to face Otto Wallin in the ring in September, Top Rank Boxing vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN on Friday.
According to Moretti, the fight will take place at an MGM property in Las Vegas on Sept. 14. While no contracts have been signed, an agreement is in place. The fight will headline a night of Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+.
Facing Wallin in September would be the second fight in less than six months for Fury, 30. He knocked out Tom Schwarz of Germany, who until then had not been beaten, in the second round of a fight on June 15. That was Fury’s first-ever fight with Top Rank, which signed him back in February.
Fury’s fight with Wallin is part of a lead-up to a rematch that’s already been agreed upon. Fury, who is 28-0-1 with 20 KOs, will take on world titleholder Deontay Wilder in early 2020. The two fought to a draw back in December.
Wallin, 28, isn’t the most inspiring choice to fight Fury. (The other choices were reportedly Johann Duhaupas and Junior Fa.) Though the Swede is 20-0 with 13 KOs, he made his U.S. debut just in April. It didn’t go as planned, with his opponent, Nick Kisner, unable to continue when an accidental head butt resulted in a wicked cut on his face. Not the most inspiring debut.
Wallin was supposed to fight B.J. Flores last month, but that fight fell through when Flores couldn’t get medical clearance. Facing Fury will be, without a doubt, the biggest fight of his career. Though for Fury, it’s likely just a way to keep him sharp and in shape until he squares off with Wilder next year.
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