"Fury showed a good chin and a lot of heart in that fight, but maybe those shots have taken something out of him too."
Monday 19 August 2019 12:00, UK
Otto Wallin has questioned Tyson Fury's punch resistance after receiving a "dream" fight against Britain's former world champion.
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The unbeaten Swedish heavyweight has been confirmed as the next opponent for Fury's return to Las Vegas on September 14, with the Brit intending to stay active ahead of a proposed rematch with WBC champion Deontay Wilder next year.
But Wallin raised doubts about whether Fury can withstand more punishment after being floored twice in his draw with Wilder last December, and he intends to enhance his own title ambitions with an upset win.
"Anybody can get knocked out in the heavyweight division, that's why it's so exciting," Wallin told Sky Sports.
"Fury showed a good chin and a lot of heart in that fight, but maybe those shots have taken something out of him too."
Asked about the significance of defeating Fury, Wallin said: "It would mean the world. I would beat the top guy in the division and it puts me in a fantastic spot to fight for a world title."
After receiving an unexpected fight with the former unified title holder, Wallin is determined to prove himself and will pay little attention to the pre-fight antics of Fury, who laughed and joked with Tom Schwarz before his second-round stoppage win at the MGM Grand in June.
"I didn't take it too seriously," said Wallin, when asked about initial talk of the Fury fight.
"I thought that they were just reaching out to different guys to see who's available, but things got more serious every day and that was very exciting.
"To have this fight is a dream coming true. Now it's time to show I belong here.
"He can do whatever he wants in terms of taking me seriously or not. I'll be focusing on what I need to do to be 100% ready for fight night, and I will be."
Wallin has sparred in the past with Anthony Joshua and sent a message of support to the Brit, who will fight Andy Ruiz Jr in a rematch in Saudi Arabia on December 7, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
"I have a lot of respect for him and want to see him come back and do well," said Wallin. "He's a cool guy."
