The biggest star in British boxing Anthony Joshua steps back into the ring this Saturday against Carlos Takam at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
It is not the fight boxing fans were expecting after original challenger Kubrat Pulev was forced to pull out of facing Joshua due to injury.
Joshua is defending his WBA (Super), IBF, and IBO titles for the first time and is expected to sell out the 74,000-plus stadium.
Takam is far from the superstar fans want to see Joshua face, but in reality the Cameroon-born fighter is not that massive a step down from Pulev.
So sit back and let us take you through the fight.
FORM…
JOSHUA'S LAST FIVE FIGHT
WIN vs Wladimir Klitschko – TKO (R11)
WIN vs Eric Molina – TKO (R3)
WIN vs Dominic Breazeale – TKO (R7)
WIN vs Charles Martin – KO (R2)
WIN vs Dillian Whyte – KO (R7)
TAKAM'S LAST FIVE FIGHTS
WIN vs Ivica Bacurin – KO (R2 of 8)
WIN vs Marcin Rekowski – KO (R4)
LOSS vs Joseph Parker – UD
WIN vs George Arias – UD (8 rounds)
WIN vs Michael Sprott – KO (R5 of 8)
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES…
Joshua is ten weeks deep into his training camp, while Takam is stepping in on 12 days notice.
Takam’s last fight was in June and it has to be assumed the 36-year-old will not be in perfect fight condition.
Joshua will be primed to let loose and that can only work in his advantage against Takam.
Anthony Joshua fight week countdown has begun!
Here’s some of his best ? moments #AJBXNG pic.twitter.com/vQiOuvDJ03
— Coral Barry (@Coral__Barry) October 25, 2017
And you don’t want to be flagging when Joshua is moving towards you.
No fighter has been able to stop the power and speed of Joshua and Takam will have to use every ounce of his experience to survive for 12 rounds.
Takam fits in nicely with the quality of opposition Joshua has faced in his 19-fight career, but the challenger will have confidence in his chin.
He’s been knocked out just once in his career, against Alexander Povetkin and Joshua will know he will have to wear Takam down.
Takam should come out strong, but his game plan will be significantly altered by the power of Joshua.
Can he afford to go all guns blazing in the first four rounds?
Takam may feel he has the element of surprise on his side. Joshua has taken a late opponent and the heavyweight will be hoping he makes the classic mistake of looking around his sizable frame to the next fight.
Joshua will also be punching downwards to hit the awkwardly smaller Takam.
But, a key advantage for Joshua will be his cardio. Going eleven rounds with Wladimir Klitschko in April will stand him run good stead in this fight, especially since he found that second wind in the tenth.
Only two of Takam’s last seven fights have been scheduled to go 12 rounds and he has gone the distance only once in those bouts – against Joseph Parker.
As a result, the veteran has notched up just 40 rounds in the last three years.
Joshua will look to exploit that as the younger fighter. Ultimaltey though, Joshua’s greatest strength will be the knowledge that Takam has failed to lift his game in the two ‘elite’ heavyweights he has faced.
Povetkin and Parker both managed to get past Takam without too many issues and Joshua will be confident he can do the same on Saturday.
LAST FIGHT…
JOSHUA VS KLITSCHKO – APRIL 2017
The war at Wembley was a coming of age for Joshua as he stopped his mentor and idol, Dr. Steelhammer Klitschko in front of 90,000 British fans.
It was an epic battle between the young challenger and the former king and thankfully for British boxing Joshua came out on top.
The 28-year-old was knocked down for the first time in his career before a storming eleventh-round comeback resulted in a brilliant knockout.
Joshua on Klitschko fight
‘Well, what can I say. First and foremost 19 and 0, three and a half years in the game. I’m not perfect but I’m trying.
‘If you don’t take part you fail. I want to give a biog shout out to my trainer and GB boxing, to 90,000 people in the arena and lastly a massive shout-out for Wladimir Klitschko.
‘I’m not going to say too much in case he wants to come back and fight me again but he is a role model in and out for the ring and I’ve got huge respect and love for Wladimir Klitschko … I am a little bit emotional because there are people who think I can’t do it. I dig deep and you never know the outcome.
‘Boxing’s about character and when you go to the trenches that when you find out where you are. There’s nowhere to hide in that little ring. I came out and won that’s how deep i had to dig. I fought my heart out.’
TAKAM VS BACURIN – JUNE 2017
Takam ran through Croatian Ivica Bacurin in his last fight in June.
The Frenchman fought against the 27-11-1 fighter on a night staged in a small casino in Italy.
Takam did not headline, but made short work of a tentative Bacurin who went down in the second round and did not get back up.
METRO.CO.UK PREDICTION…
Despite the late change of opponent, we can’t see anything else other than a win for Joshua here.
Takam has stumbled against the big boys before and although is no gimme, Joshua should be able to tire him out and then knock him down.
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