Anthony Joshua retains heavyweight title by stopping Carlos Takam in 10th round
Cardiff crowd jeers the decision to end the fight but Joshua secures his 20th straight victory
Anthony Joshua was taken to the 10th round before stopping the durable Carlos Takam and retaining his WBA and IBF heavyweight titles in front of an estimated 75,000 fans in Cardiff on Saturday.
The referee moved in to stop the fight after Joshua caught Takam with a hook-uppercut combination and was moving in to land more blows. The Frenchman shook his head in disgust and many in the crowd jeered the decision.
At the end of an uncomfortable evening for Joshua, during which he might have broken his nose through a second-round clash of heads, the British boxer earned a 20th straight win that likely set him up for a unification fight in 2018 with either WBO champion Joseph Parker or WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
Takam was fighting on 12 days’ notice – as an injury replacement for Kubrat Pulev – and lived up to his reputation as a tough opponent, absorbing big shots by Joshua and making himself tough to hit with his movement.
He took an eight count in the fourth round after toppling from a left hook by Joshua, and fought on with a cut above his right eye that twice required treatment.
Joshua was taken beyond seven rounds for only the second time in his pro career. The other time was an 11-round fight against Wladimir Klitschko in April.