A 10-round heavyweight main event has been added to the May 26 Detroit Brawl event with WBC #11-rated heavyweight Otto Wallin (23-1, 14 KOs) of Sweden facing Detroit’s Rydell Booker (26-5-1, 13 KOs) in the Lincoln Ballroom of the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

Wallin hails from Sundsvall, Sweden. The 31-year-old Wallin captured headlines in 2019 when he came extremely close to scoring a monumental stoppage upset over Tyson Fury, in a bout that left Fury with 47 stitches. Wallin now lives and trains in New York under the tutelage of popular former two-division champion Joey Gamache at Mendez Boxing in Manhattan.

“Training is going really well,” said Wallin during a break in preparations. “I’ve been getting a lot of work in over the last few months. I saw Booker when he fought Franklin and I know that he’s an experienced and skilled boxer. He’s not someone I will underestimate, but this is a fight I need to win. I appreciate my promoter, Salita Promotions, keeping me active. This is the first time I fight twice in a year since 2019. I’m looking to put on a good performance.”

Inactive for over a decade, in 2018 Booker won three comeback bouts before losing a televised close 10-round decision to undefeated heavyweight Jermaine Franklin.

“He’s a southpaw that boxes well,” said Booker of Wallin. “Everybody thinks they know how to fight a southpaw, but I fight them totally differently. I’ve been fighting them for years. I’m sparring with lefties every day and training is going well. It would mean a lot to beat Wallin. He’s rated in the world and it would let everybody know Rydell Booker is still here.”

Booker also says his trainer, former female fighter Kara Ro, is making sure he shows up in great shape for the battle. “Kara is getting on my nerves,” he admitted jokingly. “Not in a bad way. She’s a workhorse and it’s good because she’s always pushing.”

“I’m excited to add a heavyweight matchup featuring one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world, Otto Wallin, against battle-tested Detroiter Rydell Booker,” said event promoter Dmitriy Salita. “This fight card is packed with world-class talent and I’m honored for it to take place in Detroit, the city of boxing legends.”

Rising super welterweight powerhouse Marlon Harrington (7-0, 6 KOs) will be appearing in the night’s eight-round co-main event.