1 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:06,200 Well, it's my pleasure to bring into the podcast today the heavyweight contender Otto. 2 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,160 Valleen Otto. It's been a while since I've talked to you. I 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,320 mean, I covered your fight with Ti Sepia. I've watched how your career 4 00:00:12,359 --> 00:00:16,879 has gone since then. You've won six fights in th ro you have now 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:20,519 landed a very big fight with Anthony Joshua, which we're going to get into. 6 00:00:20,559 --> 00:00:24,120 Thank you very much for doing this. How's everything going. I think 7 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,320 it's going well. Thank you. I'm really excited about this opportunity, so 8 00:00:27,359 --> 00:00:30,800 it's nice that it's finally happening. Well, I'm happy for you. I 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,359 will tell the people You're gonna fight Anthony Joshua in the main event of the 10 00:00:34,439 --> 00:00:37,560 Day of Reckoning. It's a big mega card, a lot of big time 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,520 fights on that show December twenty third and riad Saturday, Arabia live on his 12 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:45,920 own pay per view, and I was really interested when I saw that this 13 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:48,759 fight was made and had heard that they had made this match. I thought 14 00:00:48,759 --> 00:00:51,399 about a lot of things, but the first thing was Otto that you had 15 00:00:51,399 --> 00:00:56,039 fought Maur Gassia in Turkey in September and you got to win in that fight 16 00:00:56,039 --> 00:00:58,840 in a decision, and now this fight is in December, so it must 17 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:00,520 have been like right after that fight, or maybe even they had a deal 18 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:06,359 before the fight. Can you sort of walk me through how quickly things developed 19 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,079 once the Gassia fight was over or did this fight already have been presented to 20 00:01:10,079 --> 00:01:12,040 you prior to that fight. No, I had no idea. I had 21 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,760 no idea, So I had to fight with Gacia, had a week off 22 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:21,719 in Turkey, I had some adivacation there, went back to Sweden for a 23 00:01:21,799 --> 00:01:26,239 couple of couple of weeks, and then came back to New York. And 24 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:32,000 then early November we heard about this fight. So it was not fast at 25 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,799 all, or I mean it was fast when it finally happened, but before 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,680 that we didn't know about it. So then we got to call Jolie, 27 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:45,560 my manager. We went back and forth with the other side, Joshua side, 28 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,560 and we made a deal and I think two days, so it was 29 00:01:48,599 --> 00:01:51,519 it was really things happened really fast. I was going to ask you, 30 00:01:51,519 --> 00:01:56,159 I like because usually these types of fights, I mean Anthony Joshua, you 31 00:01:56,159 --> 00:01:57,680 know his fights, they take a little time to developmm to be made. 32 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:01,319 But obviously the way that discard is being put together. It seems like money 33 00:02:01,359 --> 00:02:05,920 is really not any object for you know, his excellency and the folks over 34 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:08,039 in Saudi Arabia that are putting this together. Did did you have any reservations 35 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:10,719 about getting back in the ring and going right back in the camp so quickly 36 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:15,680 after your fight with Gassia? I didn't actually, because we felt like I've 37 00:02:15,719 --> 00:02:20,479 just been a good guy in Gassia. But I didn't take much punishment and 38 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,080 I didn't have any injuries or anything, so that's what we based it on. 39 00:02:23,319 --> 00:02:27,439 If he had been a really tough fight, maybe I wouldn't have taken 40 00:02:27,479 --> 00:02:30,280 this fight, but he wasn't, so I was in good shape already, 41 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:37,560 no injuries, felt great, So I think, yes, that fight just 42 00:02:37,599 --> 00:02:40,199 gave me great momentum going is this fight well right? You should probably be 43 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,840 pretty sharp having just fought just a couple of months before you get in the 44 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,960 ring On the twenty third, I wondered, I have to be honest. 45 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,599 I mean, I know Anthony Joshua has not been the type of fighter that's 46 00:02:50,599 --> 00:02:53,120 looked to avoid opponents. You know, He's fought a lot of good guys 47 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,159 in his career, been a champion two times, and you know, fought 48 00:02:55,400 --> 00:03:00,280 in different countries and things along those lines. But I was a little prize 49 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,479 if he decided to fight outo Valleen, because you know, you're good, 50 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:07,759 but that's not his thing. You're also a south pawd I know they don't 51 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,159 really love fighting left haters. I've seen comments from Eddie Hern and I've watched 52 00:03:10,199 --> 00:03:14,919 his performances against other southpaws, Usik for example. I mean, you guys 53 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,360 are different kind of southpaws. But were you a little surprised that Joshua agreed 54 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,759 to fight you because he really, frankly, could have had the pick of 55 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,479 pretty much any contender out there would have been happy to fight him, I'm 56 00:03:23,479 --> 00:03:27,159 sure, and they'd have been able to make a deal. I was surprised. 57 00:03:27,199 --> 00:03:30,560 I was surprised, But what I think did it was that I did 58 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,000 number two spot with the IBF and that tied him might become vacant. So 59 00:03:35,759 --> 00:03:38,800 they probably want the number two spot to fight for for the IBS against Herkovic. 60 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:44,680 But of course I'm looking to win this fight so they can forget about 61 00:03:44,719 --> 00:03:49,719 that and whatever they have plans whenever they have planned now. But I think 62 00:03:49,759 --> 00:03:53,120 that I wasn't at surprised because I'm a south paw, I'm tricky and I'm 63 00:03:53,159 --> 00:03:55,759 good, and he's kind of short notice for the fight and also as a 64 00:03:55,759 --> 00:04:00,199 new trainer again, so I think that's all to my advent. Well, 65 00:04:00,199 --> 00:04:03,000 you brought up about how you know you plan on winning this fight, and 66 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,719 it leads me to the question I wanted to that you just to get your 67 00:04:05,719 --> 00:04:08,520 thoughst and I know you want to win. Of course, that's why you're 68 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,240 in the business. You know, win big fights when titles make money all 69 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:15,159 that. Certainly, the people that are putting this event together where they have 70 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,959 you fighting Anthony Joshua in the in the in the set, and the other 71 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,560 you know, major fight on the card of the Let's call out, the 72 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:24,720 you know, the i'd co feature, you know, a comin event, 73 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,399 however you want to describe it. They have Deontay Wilder fighting Joseph Parker. 74 00:04:28,639 --> 00:04:31,399 It's very obvious based on the commentary from everybody and the way this was put 75 00:04:31,399 --> 00:04:35,480 together is that the goal I think in the end is for if Joshua and 76 00:04:35,519 --> 00:04:39,399 Wilder are the winner, to put them together. That's been a fight that 77 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:42,560 boxing fans have talked about, media have talked about for a very long time. 78 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,639 They're two huge stars, two big names, But you and Joshua, 79 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,000 You and Joseph Parker, you know, can alter that in a big way 80 00:04:49,079 --> 00:04:53,600 if you come out victorious. And I wonder how much besides just your own 81 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:57,279 desire to be the winner and to move your own career head do you relish 82 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,199 sort of messing up the plans for everybody else when that's what so many people 83 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,839 are talking about. I think that would be so sweet. If I fell 84 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,480 in the fight, then they can forget about you know, the Wilder fight, 85 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,000 Well, they can do it anyways, who knows. I mean, 86 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,959 it's still a big fight, I think. But if he loses this fight, 87 00:05:13,199 --> 00:05:15,399 I'm gonna move on. I'm going to be on top of the world 88 00:05:15,399 --> 00:05:17,279 and one of the best fighters out there and should be in line to fight 89 00:05:17,319 --> 00:05:20,480 for any title. And then Parker and Wilder. I don't think that's an 90 00:05:20,519 --> 00:05:25,120 easy fight because Wilder hasn't been active. I think he has like one round 91 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:29,879 in two years, so you're right, Parker has been active. But it 92 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:31,680 depends on how Parker comes out. If he comes out trying to box, 93 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,000 he probably get knocked out. But if he could take it to Wilder, 94 00:05:35,319 --> 00:05:39,720 then I think it could be a good fight. Yeah, I imagine that 95 00:05:39,759 --> 00:05:42,920 he probably relishes the thought of messing up a lot of plans, just like 96 00:05:42,959 --> 00:05:46,639 you do. You mentioned about Anthony Joshua he's now I don't I don't think 97 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,720 he parted ways specifically with Derek James. I think it was the scheduling that 98 00:05:50,759 --> 00:05:55,839 they had and the locations of fights that made it not likely that they'd be 99 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,720 able to work together for this fight. So he's gonna be with Ben Davison, 100 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:01,560 And I just wonder what are your thoughts about Joshua where he is in 101 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,199 his career right now, having had two fights this year. Uh, you 102 00:06:04,199 --> 00:06:08,199 know, looked okay in those fights after the losses, but now he's going 103 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,079 in with you third fight this year, but also changing trainers once again, 104 00:06:11,519 --> 00:06:15,120 Uh to Ben Davison, who you know has gone against you as the trainer 105 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,000 for Tyson Fury. Right. I don't know Ben Davison that well, so 106 00:06:19,199 --> 00:06:24,040 I don't really know what he can do about I think that Joshua is is. 107 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,720 I don't think evert is a good sign. When he start switching trainers 108 00:06:28,079 --> 00:06:31,879 usually doesn't end well, doesn't get better usually, So I have a hard 109 00:06:31,879 --> 00:06:36,319 time seeing that Ben can really change Jim will improve much in this short amount 110 00:06:36,319 --> 00:06:41,879 of time, because I feel like you have to trust your trainer and they 111 00:06:41,879 --> 00:06:45,839 have to trust you, and and it takes it takes time to build a 112 00:06:45,879 --> 00:06:50,560 good relationship and understand what your training is asking for. So I think I 113 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:54,040 don't I don't think they can do much in this short amount of time. 114 00:06:55,439 --> 00:06:57,439 Do you think, where do you think he is in his career, Anthony? 115 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,360 I mean, he did win two fights in a row to shake off 116 00:06:59,399 --> 00:07:01,959 those losses, and now he's agreed to fight you. Is he still a 117 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,480 guy that you're thinking can do things? I know you're looking to stop that, 118 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:10,000 but what is your assessment of where he's at in his career now? 119 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,000 I think that he's still one of the best out there. He's a good 120 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,680 fighter. It is so suspect, but I think that there's been a decline. 121 00:07:17,079 --> 00:07:21,040 Of course, I think it has been, and I think it's a 122 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,920 lot of a mental thing for him. I think that he feels vulnerable now. 123 00:07:25,959 --> 00:07:28,199 He knows that he can lose, he knows that he can get hurt. 124 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,360 So I think that this timing is really good for me. I have 125 00:07:32,439 --> 00:07:38,399 great momentum coming in from my last fight, and you know, like I 126 00:07:38,439 --> 00:07:41,600 said a press conference, I'm gonna help Joshua. I think he's on his 127 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,439 way way out really and I'm gonna help him with that. I got you. 128 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,360 I wonder you know when you see the way that the rest of the 129 00:07:48,399 --> 00:07:53,920 card shakes out your fight. Obviously we talked about Deontay and Joseph Parker, 130 00:07:54,079 --> 00:07:56,759 but they got Hergovich on the card. They got to meet your Bible defending 131 00:07:56,759 --> 00:08:01,279 the light heavyweight title. They got Opataia number one cruise away in a fight, 132 00:08:01,279 --> 00:08:03,319 They have Daniel Duba, They've got other heavyweight fights. What do you 133 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,040 think about just the magnitude of the card and how load it is, and 134 00:08:07,079 --> 00:08:09,639 the fact that they You're the guy opposite corner in the main event of this 135 00:08:09,759 --> 00:08:13,639 huge cart. It's amazing. It's amazing. Like we didn't we just talk 136 00:08:13,639 --> 00:08:18,920 about that that boxing wasn't even allowed in Sweden. Maybe that was somebody else. 137 00:08:18,959 --> 00:08:22,399 I'll talk to him else. Yeah. Sorry. When I first started 138 00:08:22,399 --> 00:08:26,639 boxing, professional boxing wasn't even allowed in Sweden, right, and that now 139 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,159 to be here fighting on a huge car like this, it's just really amazing. 140 00:08:31,159 --> 00:08:35,799 I'm so happy and I feel like it worked. All the work that 141 00:08:35,799 --> 00:08:39,759 I put put in over the years and all the sacrifice is finally coming. 142 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,440 It's finally all work it. Well, you have won six fights in a 143 00:08:45,519 --> 00:08:50,279 row since your fight against Tyson Fury, a decision loss that you were extremely 144 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:52,799 competitive in. And I wondered when you think about that fight in twenty nineteen 145 00:08:52,799 --> 00:08:56,399 against Tyson Fury. You fought him, he wasn't he didn't have any of 146 00:08:56,399 --> 00:08:58,840 the belts, but he was the lineal champion, he was undefeated. It 147 00:08:58,879 --> 00:09:00,840 was a pretty big deal. I was at that fight covering it, and 148 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,679 I remember when you open up that terrible cut over his eye. I think 149 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,320 it wound up being two cuts in total. He ended up having that forty 150 00:09:07,399 --> 00:09:09,279 seven stitches. A lot of us at ringside that night thought, oh my 151 00:09:09,279 --> 00:09:13,679 goodness, Otto Valley, unknown at that time, is going to pull off 152 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:18,200 the huge upset and win this fight become the lineal heavyweight champion of the world. 153 00:09:18,639 --> 00:09:20,639 I think in a lot of places doctors or refs would have stopped that 154 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:26,200 fight based on the severity of the cuts that Tyson Fury had. He was 155 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:28,919 allowed to continue, you know, he based on that. He did win 156 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,799 the fight on points. But how often do you think about how close you 157 00:09:31,879 --> 00:09:35,600 were to stopping Tyson Fury, giving him his first loss, and I would 158 00:09:35,639 --> 00:09:39,480 tell you that would have changed so much about the history of the heavyweight division 159 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,840 seeing what has occurred since then, do you like Yeah, I mean in 160 00:09:43,879 --> 00:09:46,840 a lot of places they stopped that fight, you know, yeah, yeah, 161 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:50,639 I think so too they. I mean, of course, if you 162 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:52,960 asked me, I feel like they should have stopped it. And if I 163 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,080 had that cut, that would definitely have stopped the fight. But you know, 164 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,360 he got to give some respect to Fury. He kept fighting, He 165 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,440 showed a lot of heart, he came through. I mean, I've been 166 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,039 thinking about it, of course, but I try not to think about it 167 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,759 too much. I feel like now, I mean, I'll move on this. 168 00:10:07,759 --> 00:10:11,639 It's four years since I fought in and I want my career to be 169 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:15,000 more than just the guy to get few a good fight. So hey, 170 00:10:15,039 --> 00:10:18,960 maybe a really it's a really good opportunity to set everything. Maybe a rematch 171 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:22,279 with Tyson Fury someday. But since that fight, like I said, this 172 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,919 is I'll just wrap up with this. You won the six fights in a 173 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,360 row, but you have they've been some of those fights have been kind of 174 00:10:30,399 --> 00:10:33,559 smaller fights, not big TV fights. You know, I know you had 175 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,440 one like on a small club show, that sort of thing. Was it 176 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:39,559 at all frustrating knowing what a great performance you had put in with Fury and 177 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,720 that you were a you know, a bona fide contender, and that that 178 00:10:43,919 --> 00:10:46,279 the bigger fights were not materializing and this one has sort of dropped in your 179 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:50,240 lap. As we talked about, Uh, but was there ever a sense 180 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,279 of frustration that, you know, I'm spinning my wheels, I'm I'm fighting, 181 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:56,200 I'm winning, and I just can't get traction with a big time fight. 182 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:00,000 It was very frustrating. It was very frustrating. I didn't get much 183 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,279 fights, didn't get really good any big fights, So it was hard. 184 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:07,039 It was hard. I mean, when you're a fighter and you don't make 185 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,840 you don't get big fights, you don't make any money. So, you 186 00:11:09,879 --> 00:11:11,679 know, I live in New York. It's not very cheap to live here 187 00:11:13,279 --> 00:11:16,279 and not getting fights. I'm at the gym twice every day, just trying 188 00:11:16,279 --> 00:11:18,799 to get better, trying to you know, be ready for the fights. 189 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:24,720 But they seem to never come. At some point, but I just focused, 190 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,960 stayed in gym, f like it's got to come sometime. I got 191 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,000 to get I gotta get some shot, and finally it's here. So I'm 192 00:11:31,039 --> 00:11:35,159 just so happy that I stayed in the gym, kept training, kept doing 193 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,279 my thing, and and U yeah, like I said, it's finally here. 194 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:43,120 But it was tough a time, really tough. But I felt like, 195 00:11:43,679 --> 00:11:46,000 oh my god, I'm never going to get a big fight again. 196 00:11:46,039 --> 00:11:48,679 But like, what's going on, Well, you've got the big fight now. 197 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:50,840 I wish you the best of luck in that fight. You said we 198 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:54,159 toty third against Anthony John Jatto. Thank you very much for joining me today. 199 00:11:54,159 --> 00:11:56,919 I appreciate it and I wish you good luck in the match. Thank 200 00:11:56,919 --> 00:11:58,440 you very much.