By: Sean Crose
“I am pleased to be back in Las Vegas,” says Tyson Fury, the man many consider to be the lineal heavyweight champion of the world (the man who beat the man who beat the man who…).I loved my time there in my last fight and I am going to put on a show at the T-Mobile Arena.” Fury was referring a match with Otto Wallin, which has been scheduled to go down at Vegas’ T-Mobile arena on September 14th. The bout will be aired live on ESPN+ and will be presented by Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Fury’s American promotional company.
“Otto Wallin is a world-ranked fighter and is tall,” Fury says, “something we want with the Deontay Wilder rematch around the corner. He is also a southpaw, which will bring its own obstacles, but I will be fully focused to get this job done because the rematch needs to happen.” The rematch, of course, is a second fight with the aforementioned Wilder, who Fury fought to a draw last December in one of the more memoable heavyweight title clashes in recent memory. Fury looked to be cruising towards a win (despite being dropped once) when Wilder sent the Englishman to the mat with an absolutely thunderous shot in the final round. Fury remarkably got up, then performed well until the final bell.
“Tyson Fury electrified Las Vegas last time he fought, and he is set to do it again against a tough kid in Otto Wallin,” said Top Rank chairman Arum. “Tyson knows what’s at stake,” he added, in reference to the upcoming Wallin fight, “and I expect him to have another masterful performance. He is the best heavyweight in the world and is only beginning to show everyone what he’s capable of.”
The 20-0 Wallin, of course, is thrilled that the opportunity of a lifetime has presented itself. “This is the type of fight I’ve been waiting for since I was a kid and my father started showing me some boxing moves in our kitchen,” the 28 year old Swede claimed. “I’ve made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point and I’m very happy it’s starting to pay off. I want to thank my team and my supporters for making this happen.” Wallin, of course, is eager to prove himself.
“I know I’m an underdog in this fight,” he says, “but I’m ready for this opportunity and I’m going to grab it with both hands. Anybody can get beat and especially in the heavyweight division. I like the fact that I have everything to gain and Tyson has everything to lose.”
The 28-0 Fury’s last fight was a two round blowout of Tom Schwarz back in June at the MGM Grand in Vegas. It was a violent, but expectedly one sided victory for the fighter known as “The Gypsy King.” Wallin’s last battle was declared a No Contest due to the fact that he and opponent Nick Kisner clashed heads accidentally and the bout had to be stopped. The match, which went down at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, was Wallin’s US debut.