What’s Next For Otto Wallin?

By: Hans Themistode

The world has officially been introduced to Otto Wallin (20-1, 13 KOs). The Swedish born fighter gave Lineal Champion Tyson Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs) hell for 12 rounds on September 14th, at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Wallin was an obscure name to say the least. With his performance he let the rest of the division know that he is a major player. At just the age of 28, there is reason to believe that Wallin has plenty of room to improve. Before he stepped into the ring at the T-Mobile arena, he hadn’t fought a full fight in over a year.

Photo Credit: Henry Deleon

Wallin didn’t just hold his own against Fury, he performed better than arguably anyone ever has against him. According to CompuBox, Wallin landed more punches on Fury than anyone he has ever stepped in the ring with. For a comparison, Wallin landed 127 shots, while much more notable names such as Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder landed just 123 punches Combined! In short, Wallin put on a great performance. Possibly the best against Fury.

Wallin will have promoters lined up at his doorstep looking to sign him. The three major players for his services would be PBC, Matchroom and of course Top Rank. All three have a large enough stable of Heavyweights to keep Wallin busy.

Who he signs with is anyones guess but we went ahead and gave a full breakdown of who his next opponent could be depending on he decides to sign with next.

If Wallin inks a Deal with PBC and Al Haymon

Adam Kownacki

The undefeated Adam Kownacki (20-0, 15 KOs) is coming off his own fight of the year candidate against Chris Arreola on August 3rd, at the Barclay Center, in Brooklyn, New York. Kownacki is earning quite the name for himself as a guy who loves to stand in the middle of the ring and trade big shots all night. We all just witnessed Wallin in a war against Fury, a match against Kownacki would bombs away from the opening bell.

Dominic Breazeale

It wasn’t a pretty site for Dominic Breazeale (20-2, 18 KOs) the last time he was seen in the ring. It took WBC champion Deontay Wilder just one round to get rid of him. If he wants to be viewed as a real contender in the Heavyweight division then he needs a good win in his next contest. As for Wallin, he could use the experience against a tough and rugged competitor like Breazeale. It would be a big fight them both.

Charles Martin

Did you know that at one point Charles Martin (27-2-1, 24 KOs) was a Heavyweight champion? His reign didn’t last long but he will forever be labeled as a former champion. A win over someone with that sort of status is exactly what Wallin needs in order to continue his upward trajectory.

His Options with Bob Arum and ESPN

Kubrat Pulev

Since losing his lone shot at a title against Wladimir Klitschko back in 2014, Kubrat Pulev (27-1, 14 KOs) has won seven fights in a row. He has managed to work his way to a mandatory position with the IBF but we all know that it’ll be a while before he gets a shot at a world title. What Pulev needs is a statement. In steps, Otto Wallin. After just taking arguably the best Heavyweight in the division through hell and back Wallin is a big fight for just about anyone now. A win against Pulev who has only lost to one of the best Heavyweight champions of all-time would boost his stock tremendously.

Bryant Jennings

We all know that Bryant Jennings (24-4, 14 KOs) is not a true contender in the Heavyweight division but he is still a respectable name. Outside of Fury, Wallin really doesn’t have a notable name on his record. It’s time to start building his experience with better opponents. Jennings would provide Wallin with a stiff test, one that he should pass but the experience would benefit him in the long run.

Tyson Fury Rematch

Tyson Fury is hardly ever in an exciting fight. That’s because he can easily outbox his opponents and turn it into a boring contest. In his fight against Wallin, he was forced to actually fight. You can make the argument that it was the toughest fight of his career. We all understand that he is scheduled to take on Deontay Wilder in a rematch early next year but if that contest falls apart for some reason, then let’s see these two do it again.

If Wallin Signs With Eddie Hearn and Matchroom

Dillian Whyte

Dillian Whyte (26-1, 18 KOs) has a few issues that he is dealing with right now, after testing positive for a banned substance. If he can get past those problems then a matchup between Wallin and Whyte makes a lot of sense for both of them. Whyte has been calling for his crack at a world title and has defeated everyone that he has needed to in order to make it happen. Wallin might not have the pedigree that Whyte possesses but he showed that he is one helluva fighter. The winner of this contest could vault to the front of the line as the next to contend for a title.

Dave Allen

It looked like Heavyweight contender Dave Allen (17-5-2, 14 KOs) was on his way to a career rival. After losing the biggest fights of his career to Dillian Whyte and Luis Ortiz, the prevailing thought was that he couldn’t get it done against good competition. That thought was reinforced when he lost a close decision to non contender Lenroy Thomas. Things finally started to turn around for Allen as he won the biggest fight of his career against Lucas Browne. He couldn’t continue his good roll as he was knocked out against David Price earlier this year. Currently he has nothing on his schedule for a return fight. After a career defining performance, Wallin most likely wants to enter the ring as soon as possible. If he decides to sign with Matchroom, this is a must see matchup.

Michal Hunter

Michael Hunter (18-1, 12 KOs) has quietly been building a name for himself. His only blemish on his record was a contest against Oleksandr Usyk at Cruiserweight. Since moving up in weight, he has gone 6-0 with 4 of those wins coming via stoppage. He most recently was seen in the ring on September 13th, easily winning against Sergey Kuzmin. Both Wallin and Hunter are big guys who love to bang. Let’s hope the fans get to see this fun matchup soon.

Regardless of where Otto Wallin chooses to sign, his options will be aplenty. With more experience and more activity he could challenge anyone. He may have been an unknown fighter before, but now, everyone knows the name, Otto Wallin.