Gassiev revives his declining career. Tyson Fury’s former rival stood in Murat’s way
Sergey Sorokin September 8, 2023, 21:05 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The Russian got tired of beating the “bags” and got a very strong Swede.
Murat Gassiev had his last fight in March 2023. He beat the next “bag”, ending the fight in the second round. Therefore, many were eagerly awaiting the new announcement. And the Russian finally got his next opponent. On September 30 in Turkey he will have a battle with Otto Wallin. Our compatriot will defend the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship belt. And it is worth noting that the opponent is very dangerous.
Let’s remember Murat’s previous fight in the professional ring:
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After the fight, Gassiev almost cried. Friends, those wins are worse than the losses.
Gassiev was defeated by Alexander Usik in 2018, moved up to heavyweight and remained inactive for more than two years. After that, he exclusively wins. The Russian successively defeated Nuri Seferi, Michael Wallisch, Karlous Welch and Mike Balogun. And only against the German boxer did the matter reach at least the fourth round. In all other fights, Murat finished off his opponents even faster. As a result, for three years Gassiev spent 19 minutes and 40 seconds in the ring.
Now the very dangerous Wallin will become his opponent. The Swedish boxer has a professional record of 25-1 (14 KOs). It is true that he did not have the most pleasant moment of his career. On April 13, 2019, Otto fought Nick Kisner. The fight was declared invalid due to a severe cut on the American caused by an accidental headbutt in the first round.
And after the non-compete, Wallin’s career took a hit. On September 14, 2019, the Swede faced Tyson Fury. And Otto survived all 12 rounds. It is true that the Gypsy King won by unanimous decision. The following scores were given on the referees’ cards: 112-116, 111-117, 110-118. So, Wallin definitely looked competitive, but he couldn’t withstand the attack of one of the strongest heavyweights on the planet.
Otto Valin vs Tyson Fury
Photo: David Becker/Getty Images
It is worth noting that the loss to Fury restarted the Swedish boxer’s career. Since 2020, Otto has fought five fights and has always won. Travis Kauffman, Dominic Breazeale, Kamil Sokolovsky, Rydell Booker and Helaman Olguin stood in Wallin’s way. It is true that only one victory was early. And even there, Kauffman suffered a shoulder injury, so he couldn’t continue the fight. At the beginning of his career, Otto often knocked out his opponents, which cannot be said about the Swede’s current status.
Incendiary interview with Maxim Babanin:
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I am glad that the Russian received such a high-level opponent. Recently, Gassiev has been following a “bag diet.” And a victory could revive Murat’s career. But it is still difficult to count on an easy victory in such a confrontation. Otto is a real tumbler, no one was able to defeat him ahead of schedule. And in the fight with Tyson Fury, the Swede looked very competitive. Therefore, a serious test of strength awaits the Russian.
