The last time we saw Otto Wallin in the ring he was a punch or two away from an upset of Tyson Fury.
Wallin, the heavyweight contender from Sweden, had opened two cuts over Fury’s right eye that were so ghastly the referee would’ve been justified if he had stopped the fight. Alas, Fury survived, won a unanimous decision and then beat the you know what out of Deontay Wilder in their rematch.
However, Wallin made a statement with a performance that was surprisingly strong for those unaware of his talents.
“I think some people think of it as a win more than anything,” said Wallin, who returns to the ring against Travis Kauffman on the David Benavidez-Roamer Angulo card Aug. 15 in Uncasville, Conn. “Nobody thought I would do anything. I pushed him all the way to 12 rounds. When I meet people on the street, they congratulate me like I won.
“And it’s been like a win in many ways. I think I proved myself in that fight. Now I can’t wait to get back out there and show again that I’m one of the top guys.”
Otto Wallin opened cuts above the right eye of Tyson Fury that couldn’t ended their fight last September. David Becker / Getty Images
A lot has happened to Wallin (20-1, 13 KOs) since the Fury fight.
The 29-year-old from Sundsvall, a town along the east coast of central Sweden, had to pull out of a scheduled fight with Lucas Browne on March 28 after suffering a foot injury in training, after which the fight – with Apti Davtaev as Wallin’s replacement — was canceled anyway because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Then Wallin, who lives in New York City, had to contend with COVID-19 himself. In March, he and his mother, visiting from Sweden, developed symptoms that weren’t severe enough to get tested.
However, Wallin’s mom evidently infected her boyfriend upon her return to Sweden and he was hospitalized. Wallin later tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.
Wallin and his foot recovered but then he, like so many boxers, had to adjust his training regimen to coronavirus restrictions. He ultimately found a private gym in which to work with trainer Joey Gamache but he had to be creative for a while.
Wallin (pictured before the Fury fight) said he wants to make strong statement against Travis Kauffman on Aug. 15. Ethan Miller / Getty Images
“The gyms were closed in New York,” he said. “And I didn’t have anything when this all started. I ordered some stuff and borrowed some stuff, some equipment for my apartment. I was making the most of it.
“I got a stationary bike. A friend let me borrow a squat rack and a bench press and got some barbells and dumbbells. I used my wall as a heavy bag. I made it work.”
Wait. He used his wall as a heavy bag?
“Yes. I wore gloves and hit the wall. It was OK. I don’t have neighbors on the other side,” he said with chuckle.
The last few months have been more conventional. With the foot injury, his bout with COVID-19 and the make-shift training conditions behind him, he has whipped himself into fighting shape in the private gym. That including productive sparring.
“It may have not been optimal but I feel great,” he said.
And he’s excited to get back into the ring. It will have been 11 months since the Fury fight when he steps into the ring to face Kauffman, a tough, experienced fringe contender from Reading, Penn., on the David Benavidez-Roamer Angulo card at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
Wallin acknowledges that he won’t shake up the world with a victory over a fighter with the limiations of Kauffman (32-3, 23 KOs) but, a veteran himself, he isn’t taking anything for granted.
And he sees the opportunity to fight on national television in the U.S. – the card is on Showtime – to build on his momentum from the Fury fight by giving a strong, memorable performance against a solid, well-known opponent.
“I’m very excited,” Wallin told Boxing Junkie. “It’s been almost a year since I fought Fury and it’s been a crazy year in many ways. I finally get to fight again. That’s the fun part of all this, the action, being in the ring.
“[Kauffman] is a tough guy. He grew up in boxing. He can fight. I also feel he’s a little older now (34), he had shoulder surgery, he’s been out a while. I think all of that will work in my favor. I think I’m the younger, fresher, hungrier guy and a better boxer. I hope I can prove that in the fight.
“The most important thing is to get the win but I also want to prove that the Fury fight was no fluke. I want to win but also look good doing it.”
And if he’s successful?
Wallin is a good fighter. He build some name recognition in the Fury fight. His promoter, Dmitry Salita, told Sky Sports that Wallin “proved his world-class abilities in his last fight versus Tyson Fury.” And he’ll get more exposure in less than two weeks.
In other words, he’s a viable opponent for anyone.
“I’ve been dreaming of fighting for a world title, becoming champion, since I started doing this when I was 15,” he said. “I’ve been dreaming all these years. And it’s starting to come alive now. I’m just happy I’ve reached this stage, this level in my career.
“I’m getting closer to the top now, closer to fulfilling my dreams.”
