Begging Joseph Parker’s pardon, there is really only one world heavyweight title fight that matters right now; only one that would be wholly deserving of having a Super-Fight tag attached: Anthony Joshua-Deontay Wilder.
James Slater
What next for Carlos Takam?
The hero of the hour in terms of the heavyweight division, France’s Carlos Takam made one big name for himself in defeat on Saturday night in Cardiff, Wales. The huge betting underdog (Takam was a 40/1 outsider on some boards) put on one helluva gutsy, admirable showing against the younger, bigger, stronger and harder-hitting Anthony Joshua.
Anthony Joshua proves once again he is the most exciting heavyweight on the planet; but is he the best?
He has fought just twice this year, but how Anthony Joshua entertained us, thrilled us and given us value for money in doing so. There seems to be little doubt AJ, the WBA/IBF heavyweight ruler, is THE most consistently exciting big man on the planet today.
Some fans will point to WBC champ Deontay Wilder, but never has Wilder given us the kind of sustained action Joshua gave us last night in finally (and via premature stoppage) getting rid of an incredibly game Carlos Takam, as well as earlier in the year in his titanic, off the floor win over Wladimir Klitschko.
Hearn again calls out Wilder for Whyte, says Whyte will fight again in February regardless
Though he failed to make an explosive statement in his winning fight with a reluctant Robert Helenius last night, Dillian Whyte is “in a great position” according to his promoter Eddie Hearn. Whyte, troubled by Helenius in the second-round when his legs appeared wobbly, swung and missed frequently during the largely dull 12 rounds, winning via lopsided but unimpressive unanimous decision.
Team-Parker liked what they saw in Joshua-Takam battle, more convinced than ever Joseph beats AJ
It can often prove to be a tricky assignment facing a late replacement foe after having spent weeks training to prepare for another fighter with totally different physical dimensions coupled with a different fighting style, and WBA/IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua found this out last night in Cardiff.
Joshua got the job done in the end, winning practically every round before stopping (via terribly premature stoppage) a game Carlos Takam, but the critics have come out in force nonetheless. Expected by almost everyone to have a relatively easy time of things with Takam (who replaced an injured Kubrat Pulev) Joshua instead had to dig deep, take a few shots and find his second wind. As a result, the AJ critics have offered some harsh words.
Anthony Joshua stops incredibly gutsy Carlos Takam in tenth-round; Takam cries premature stoppage, crowd unhappy
Tonight in Cardiff, in a fight that surpassed ALL expectations, IBF/WBA heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua finally overcame an incredibly gutsy late Carlos Takam; a late replacement foe for the injured Kubrat Pulev.
The end came in the 10th round, as Takam, bleeding from both eyes, was under fire. Still, the stoppage angered Takam and a large section of the massive crowd who booed the stoppage decision from the British referee. Joshua is now 20-0(20). Takam falls to 35-4-1(27).
Dillian Whyte decisions Robert Helenius in 12 round snoozer
The chief support to the Joshua-Takam heavyweight title fight, between Dillian Whyte and Robert Helenius promised plenty but sadly delivered very little. Whyte did far more work than Helenius, who was content to box on the back-foot and basically survive.
After 12 frustrating rounds – frustrating for the fans and no doubt for Whyte – the Londoner won via lopsided scores of 119-109 twice and 118-110 .Whyte is now 22-1(16). Helenius of Finland falls to 25-2(16).
Kal Yafai retains WBA super-fly title with unanimous decision win over Sho Ishida
Tonight in Cardiff on the big Joshua-Takam card, WBA super-flyweight champ Kal Yafai retained his title with a wide 12 round UD over a somewhat reluctant Sho Ishida of Japan. The Birmingham man, making the second defence of the title he won back in December of last year, won by a wide (and accurate) score of 118-110 on one card and a too close 116-112 on the other two cards. Yafai is now 23-0(14). Ishida, who was having his first fight outside of his homeland, is now 24-1(13).
Lennox Lewis-Frank Bruno: the last great heavyweight title fight staged in Cardiff
As we are today, fans, most of them British, were getting ready for a heavyweight showdown in Cardiff, Wales back in October of 1993. Back then, Lennox Lewis was defending his WBC title (the one he had picked out of the garbage after Riddick Bowe unceremoniously placed it there rather than face Lewis in a return meeting of their 1988 Olympic clash) against British folk hero Frank Bruno.
Deontay Wilder has a change of heart, ready to “see” Dillian Whyte to secure mega-fight with Joshua
Fans may have read about British promoter Eddie Hearn’s offer to WBC heavyweight king Deontay Wilder: take a (high paying) defence against London’s Dillian Whyte and then, if victorious, get the massive unification fight with WBA/IBF ruler Anthony Joshua.
Wilder initially balked at such a notion, as did his US promoter Lou DiBella; who stated how Whyte is “irrelevant in the career of Deontay Wilder.” But now, going by what “The Bronze Bomber” had to say to Sky Sports, things might well have changed. It seems Wilder – who must get past former champ Bermane Stiverne in a rematch next Saturday before he can even think about fighting anyone else – is now interested in getting it on with the once-beaten Whyte.