Vladyslav Sirenko Knocks Out Otto Wallin

Vladyslav Sirenko produced a finish of startling violence with only one second remaining to knock out Otto Wallin in the tenth and final round at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden, New York.

A contest which had been competitive, physical and occasionally untidy ended at 2:59 when Sirenko caught the Swedish southpaw with a right hand and followed immediately with a crushing left hook. Wallin fell face-first and lay motionless as referee Eric Dali waved the fight over without beginning a count. Medical personnel entered the ring, and Wallin was subsequently removed on a stretcher and taken to Bellevue Hospital Center for precautionary tests. His trainer, Travia Pierce, later reported that he was conscious and “okay”.

The victory improved Sirenko’s record to 23-1 with 20 knockouts and represented the most significant result of his professional career. Wallin, who had entered at 28-3, suffered his fourth defeat and his first since being comprehensively outpointed and dropped twice by Derek Chisora in February 2025. Both men were attempting to restore some momentum. Sirenko had lost his unbeaten record on points to Britain’s Solomon Dacres in July 2025, while Wallin’s standing had declined considerably since the difficult twelve rounds he gave Tyson Fury in 2019.

Wallin weighed approximately 247 pounds and Sirenko just under 246 for the scheduled ten-round heavyweight contest. The difference on the scales was negligible, and there was little physical caution once the bell sounded. Sirenko took the centre from the opening round and attempted to deny Wallin the space from which he usually works behind the southpaw jab. Instead of remaining at long range and forcing the Ukrainian to follow, Wallin accepted prolonged exchanges at close and middle distance. It was an unexpected tactical choice from a boxer whose better performances have generally been founded on movement, positioning and economical counter-punching.

Sirenko made the stronger beginning. He pressed behind hooks, brought the uppercut through Wallin’s guard and finished the first round with an energetic burst. Wallin replied with the right jab and straight left, but too often allowed himself to be backed towards the ropes or drawn into exchanges where Sirenko’s shorter punches carried greater authority.

The second and third followed a similar course. Sirenko remained the aggressor and was generally first to initiate at close quarters. Wallin found occasional counters when the Ukrainian overcommitted, but he was not controlling the geography of the fight. Sirenko’s body punches and uppercuts were particularly effective, and his willingness to remain in front of the taller man made the contest more demanding than Wallin appeared to have anticipated.

The pace declined during the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds as both heavyweights began to feel the effects of their early exertions. There were more clinches, fewer sustained combinations and longer pauses while each waited for the other to lead. Wallin began to land with greater regularity, using small adjustments of his feet to create angles for the straight left. Swelling developed beneath Sirenko’s right eye, evidence that the Swede’s cleaner punches were beginning to leave a mark.

Wallin’s experience became more apparent through parts of the middle and later rounds. He varied the range more intelligently and found the target both from distance and during the inside exchanges. Sirenko continued pressing but was no longer throwing with the same frequency. He nevertheless retained the heavier-looking single blows, particularly the uppercut and left hook, and refused to surrender the centre for any extended period.

Sirenko found renewed energy in the eighth and ninth. He increased the pressure in short bursts, forced Wallin backwards and landed the more conspicuous power punches. Wallin remained competitive and continued answering, but he was fighting a contest in which he was being made to work at Sirenko’s preferred range. By the start of the tenth, the outcome appeared likely to depend upon how the judges had assessed Wallin’s accuracy against Sirenko’s pressure and heavier work. No official scorecards were required, and none had been released at the time of reporting.

Wallin made a determined effort in the final round, while Sirenko continued to seek the stronger finish. As the last minute ebbed away, both appeared destined to hear the final bell. Wallin then remained within punching range during one last exchange. Sirenko’s right hand disrupted his balance and lifted his head into the path of the following left hook. The second punch landed flush and ended the contest instantly.

It was a correct and unavoidable stoppage. Wallin was unconscious before he reached the canvas, and the immediate concern was medical rather than procedural. The finish provided a dramatic conclusion to a fight which, until then, had been decided by pressure, positioning and attrition rather than crisis.

Sirenko’s victory cannot erase the limitations exposed against Dacres, but it places him back among the heavyweights seeking larger opportunities. He demonstrated improved determination, sustained pressure over ten rounds and, most importantly, retained the power to finish after nearly half an hour of demanding work. Wallin again showed skill in passages, but his decision to spend so much time exchanging at close quarters suited Sirenko and deprived him of his clearest tactical advantage. The final punch was extraordinary. The circumstances which allowed it were less mysterious.