Anthony Joshua, the WBA and IBF world heavyweight champion, successfully defended his undefeated status on Saturday, October 28, after scoring a technical knockout against challenger Carlos Takam in the 10th round.
Joshua received a head-butt from Takam in the early rounds, leaving him with a bloody, broken nose. But champions never show signs of weakness, and the skilled beast responded with a vicious left hook that left Takam with a nasty cut near his right eye.
Joshua went on to dominate the whole fight with precise jabs and clean hooks to the head. The referee was forced to stop the bout, even though Takam was still standing up. The French boxer put his arms up as if he were OK to keep fighting, but you can’t expect the referee to believe you’re OK when you’re taking continuous shots to the noggin without returning the favor.
Takam undoubtedly showed toughness on Saturday, but it just wasn’t enough against the bigger, stronger, and more skilled Joshua. Here are some of the best highlights from the showdown:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1v_AA_3pgc4
After the fight, Joshua was, of course, asked “Who’s next?” And the undefeated champ responded that his first order of business would be to get his nose cracked back into place. He then teased boxing fans by mentioning a name that’s been brought up several times over the past few months. “Deontay Wilder?…It has to happen, for sure,” Joshua said.
Wilder, who’s also a knockout artist, is probably the most exciting heavyweight in the United States. A 2018 matchup between those two would for sure have boxing fans’ mouths watering. But Wilder has other business to handle before we can look forward to that. The WBC champ will defend his belt this Saturday, November 4, in a rematch against Bermane Stiverne—but he promised the world that this time, it won’t go the distance.
