Sports
Anthony Joshua’s brilliant display beats Otto Wallin in 5 rounds
Anthony Joshua delivered one of his best displays in recent memory with an impressive stoppage of Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
The 34-year-old made it three wins from three in 2023 after the fight was called off following a thunderous fifth round which left Wallin unable to continue.
Joshua, having already beaten Jermaine Franklin Jr by unanimous decision in April before sealing a seventh-round stoppage against Robert Helenius in August, cruised to a 27th professional career victory.
But the identity of his next opponent is unclear following Joseph Parker’s shock defeat of Deontay Wilder on the same card.
Joshua has recorded three career losses so far – beaten by Andy Ruiz in 2019 before Oleksandr Usyk defeated him twice – while the Swedish southpaw Wallin had only one career loss to date against Tyson Fury.
But Joshua came flying out of the blocks in Riyadh and inflicted damage on Wallin as early as the second round.
Joshua landed a left hook to Wallin’s head, followed by a thunderous right cross and a second quick right which left Wallin frazzled and with blood leaking from his right nostril.
On to the third and Wallin’s patched-up nose was pouring again as Joshua landed another right. A strong left knocked Wallin off balance, and the former European champion was backed up on to the ropes and now with a cut to his right eye.
A steely-looking Joshua showed no sign of easing up in the fourth round as he landed a number of head and body shots on his opponent. A right hand skimmed the face of Wallin with Joshua looking comfortable and in control.
In the fifth, Joshua was throwing menacing, calculated punches with Wallin offering little to nothing in attack. Then with just over one minute of the round remaining, Joshua unleashed a superb left hook to leave Wallin stumbling towards the ropes.
Wallin managed to stay on his feet and see out the round, but the Swede’s corner said their fighter was unable to continue as Joshua celebrated a destructive win.
Asked if this felt like this was a throwback fight, Joshua said: “Not a throwback fight, just another fight.
“I respect Otto and I was telling everyone in the build-up I need to focus on the man in front of me because of what he brings to the table. It was just another day in the office.”
“(My approach) was victory by any means. This is a treacherous business. It is like snakes and ladders, one win takes you up the ladder and a defeat takes you all the way down so I just want to be victorious for as long as I can. I am a gifted fighter who has a special gift and I am just searching for greatness.”
Reflecting on Wilder’s defeat, Joshua added: “I wasn’t watching. I focus on myself. I know how important this fight is for me. I heard Deontay lost but so what, he will come back. It shows this business is fine margins.”
“Deontay, everything he has said about me, I could rip him apart right now, but I am going to take the higher ground and I hope he comes back.”
When it was suggested to him that his much-anticipated fight against Wilder could now be off the table, Joshua replied: “No. If he wants, he can come back and fight another day. It is up to him and I am sure everybody still wants to see that fight.”
Wilder, who has claimed 42 of his 43 victories by knockout, was the overwhelming favourite to beat Parker, but the New Zealander ripped up the script with a crushing victory.
Parker dominated Wilder, heavily regarded as one of the biggest punches the heavyweight division has ever seen, with a perfectly executed gameplan that left his American opponent bamboozled.
Parker was comfortably ahead on the scorecard heading into the eighth round where he delivered an overhand right and then a flurry of destructive punches as Wilder clung on.
Wilder was hurt and Parker went for the finish, but the Bronze Bomber, who last fought in October 2022 – a first-round knockout win over Robert Helenius – survived the round.
Parker landed another big left hand in the ninth, with Wilder looking increasingly vulnerable.
Parker remained composed in the 10th and 11th before a desperate Wilder came out swinging in the final round looking for the knockout blow required.
But Parker never looked in danger of losing against the former WBC champion as he sealed a huge upset, with the judges scoring the most one-sided of bouts, 118-111, 118-110, 120-108 in the 31-year-old’s favour.
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In a thrilling encounter at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool triumphed over Tottenham with a decisive 5-1 victory, clinching the Premier League championship with four games to spare and marking their historic 20th title in England’s top flight.
Despite conceding an unexpected early goal, Liverpool quickly regained their composure and dominated the first half, energizing the crowd of over 60,000 fans.
With this victory, Liverpool has ensured that second-placed Arsenal cannot overtake them, drawing level with arch-rivals Manchester United as the most successful club in English football history.
The match commenced with palpable excitement at Anfield, enhanced by a rousing performance of the club’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” under the warm spring sun.
Mohamed Salah had an early opportunity, and Cody Gakpo nearly scored with a stunning overhead kick. However, Tottenham initially threatened to disrupt the celebrations when Dominic Solanke scored with a powerful header from a James Maddison corner in the 12th minute.
Liverpool responded swiftly, equalizing just four minutes later when Luis Diaz converted Dominik Szoboszlai’s precise cross, overcoming an offside call thanks to VAR’s intervention.
The momentum shifted entirely in Liverpool’s favor, with Alexis Mac Allister putting the team ahead in the 24th minute, driving the ball home from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
The atmosphere transformed into a festive celebration as Gakpo extended the lead to 3-1, slotting a shot into the bottom corner after Tottenham failed to clear the danger.
Tottenham’s manager, Ange Postecoglou, made eight changes to the lineup that lost to Nottingham Forest, prioritizing the upcoming Europa League semi-finals, leaving his team with a daunting challenge.
Liverpool supporters, who were unable to celebrate their 2020 Premier League title due to COVID-19 restrictions, filled the stadium with an array of songs as the second half progressed, eager for a fourth goal.
Top scorer Salah eventually delivered, receiving a pass from Szoboszlai, cutting inside, and driving a shot into the bottom corner. He celebrated by taking a selfie with a fan’s phone in front of the Kop.
Chants of “We’re going to win the league” and “We shall not be moved” echoed throughout the stadium.
The rout continued when Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net, bringing the score to 5-1 with about 20 minutes remaining as the match turned into a procession.
As the game entered added time, the club’s anthem played once more, with scarves raised high, and the final whistle ignited a thunderous ovation from the crowd.
Liverpool now sits on 82 points, 15 ahead of Arsenal with just four matches left in the season. Meanwhile, Tottenham languishes in 16th place in the Premier League table, suffering their 19th defeat of the season, intensifying the pressure on Postecoglou.
Prior to kickoff, tens of thousands of fans gathered outside Anfield in anticipation of Liverpool’s crowning moment, igniting flares as the home team bus arrived. Vendors outside the stadium offered flags and scarves emblazoned with “Liverpool 20-time Champions.”
At the beginning of the season, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were favored to secure a fifth consecutive title, but their form deteriorated. Arsenal posed a challenge but failed to capitalize on Liverpool’s rare missteps due to too many drawn matches.
Despite initial concerns regarding the adaptation of Liverpool’s players to new manager Arne Slot’s strategies, he has navigated the season smoothly amid ongoing speculation about the futures of key players such as Salah, captain Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Both Salah and Van Dijk have inked two-year contract extensions, though it is believed that Alexander-Arnold may soon be on the verge of a move to Real Madrid.
The chances of four key players of the Super Eagles playing in the upcoming friendly game against Ghana at the four-team tournament in England are looking very slim, as revealed by OwnGoalNigeria.com.
The first match of the Super Eagles in the four-team tournament comes up on the 29th of May against the Black Stars of Ghana, a day after the game opener, which will be Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica.
The date of the game is too sudden for four key members of the team, who will at that time still be involved with their clubs, raising the possibility of missing the game and probably the tournament.
The players who may be absent from the game are Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Maduka Okoye, and Samuel Chukwueze.
Osimhen will play his last game of the season on the 1st of June, two days before the Super Eagles’ first game of the tournament, which means he won’t be available until he is released by Galatasaray.
Also, Lookman will play his last club game for the Italian side, Atalanta, on the 25th of May, four days before the start of the tournament, and the earliest he can arrive will be around the 26th or 27th. More so, his club also wants the player to take the summer off and be fit for the next season, as he is presently battling to be at his best due to injuries.
Due to club loyalty, goalkeeper Okoye of Udinese and Chukwueze of AC Milan are also said to be considering not featuring in the tournament.
Tragedy struck in Ilorin, Kwara state capital following a 30-minute rainstorm which occurred on Monday.
An Ilorin-born Taekwondo coach and champion, identified as Musa Ismail, has been killed in a rainstorm at a badminton court in the Lower Niger River Basin Authority, in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
According to eyewitness accounts, a section of the newly renovated Badminton court executed by the former administration collapsed and fell on the coach.
The badminton court was completely destroyed by the 30-minute rainstorm.
Ismail, who was described as an upcoming and amiable badminton coach by some of his trainees, was said to have been crowned as the 2025 MKA Taekwondo Championship held in Ede, Osun state.
He was said to have been married for more than a year and was survived by a child.
Our correspondent gathered that Ismail played and trained at the facility with friends before the incident occurred.
Findings at the agency in Ilorin on Tuesday showed that the court had been sealed with the collapsed section visible from outside the structure.
Employees of the agency were not forthcoming when approached on the development.
Efforts to reach the leadership of the agency on the incident also proved abortive as of press time.
A member of staff, who pleaded anonymity, said that the incident happened on Monday, though the victim was not an employee of the agency.
“The incident is very tragic, it happened unfortunately during the rain on Monday but no one can speak on it except the managing director who is not around now.
“The MD will be in the office tomorrow and if you come, you will be able to speak with him,” the employee said.