BOXING ends 2023 on a high on Saturday night when an abundance of the world’s leading heavyweight contenders will collide in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Nine of the top 20 feature in half a dozen heavyweight matchups that will significantly shape the pecking order of the glamour division into the New Year.

With Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk scheduled to dance, for the first time at least, in February, the battle to remain relevant starts in Riyadh.

Former world champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are included in the line-up, despite, unfortunately, not being in the ring at the same time.

And whilst both have been matched favourably, factors like fragility and inactivity ensure their returns are foregone conclusions.

AJ faces Swede Otto Wallin, whose only defeat in 27 starts was a 2019 points loss to Fury when the Gypsy King laboured through a mask of blood requiring almost 50 stitches after.

And Fury’s training partner and former world champ Joseph Parker gets Wilder with his stablemate’s neutralising gameplan for the ‘Bronze Bomber’ tucked in his back pocket.

Wilder, 38, has fought just once since back-to-back stoppage defeats to Fury in 2019-20. He blew away Robert Helenius inside a round last year

Likewise, Joshua, 34, is also coming off a win over the big Fin, although his seventh round KO in August came after six largely pedestrian rounds.

With his fourth head trainer in just over two years, AJ (26-3) simply cannot afford to drop the ball now if he is to realise his ambition of becoming a three-time heavyweight champion.

Wallin, 33, has two previous defeats to Joshua from the amateurs, but is coming of a significant win on the road over Murat Gassiev in September – his sixth since the Fury defeat.

Standing six-five, Wallin (26-1) won’t be intimidated by AJ’s similar stature and he boasts the same southpaw stance that Usyk utilised to great effect against the Brit.

But he doesn’t have anywhere near the same movement or ring IQ as the Ukrainian champion, nor similar speed to the only other man to defeat AJ, Andy Ruiz.

On top of that, Wallin’s mere 54% KO ratio shouldn’t deter Joshua – 84% in the same number of wins – from letting his hands go.

Of the two ‘challengers’, Parker likely has the sterner assignment.

Wilder (43-2-1) remains the most dangerous puncher in the division with 42 knockouts in 43 wins. There is only one proven way to beat him – throw when he throws: bully the bully.

Fury had the chin to back up that strategy, picking himself up of the canvas a handful of times in their three fights. But Parker (33-3) doesn’t have the same desire or, critically, power to significantly crack back.

The Kiwi has never stopped anybody of note in 23 stoppages, suggesting he’s in for the long haul. That equates to 36 minutes of punch perfect practise in front of a genuine one-shot walkaway KO king.

TIP: AJ on Points & Wilder by KO