Ringside, Vofafone, Vector Arena, Manukau, Auckland City. Pro Joseph Parker (18-0-0) crowd in unanimity. There maybe the odd Frenchman or Cameroonian out there supporting Carlos Takam (33-2-1) but not evident. A sea of Parker supporters from end to end. People out in droves to watch the home town hero, Parker having grown up a 10 minutes down the road.
Takam ring walk – he looks pumped both emotionally and physically. Compact man with a set of biceps like bowling balls.
If not exactly playing the outright bad guy Carlos Takam has presented himself during his various media obligations in Auckland, as sullen, withdrawn and taciturn. Takam’s answers to even the most routine of questions posed to him could best be described as monosyllabic, although this may due to his tenuous grasp of the English language, Takam clearly preferring that any dialogue and discourse be conducted in French.
Has Alexander Povetkin’s reputation been forever ruined due to his coming up positive for a banned substance, causing the postponement, perhaps cancellation of his title fight with Deontay Wilder? Already, past Povetkin opponents are second-guessing their fights with the Russian star.
It is a sign of how dangerous a task unbeaten New Zealand heavyweight contender Joseph Parker faces a week today against Cameroonian Carlos Takam, that his trainer Kevin Barry twice turned a possible fight with Takam down, as he was “all risk and no reward.” This was a few months back, when Parker needed, in the words of Barry, who was speaking with Stuff.co.nz earlier this week, “more time to develop and mature.”
#3 WBA Alexander Povetkin (28-1, 20 KOs) proved his class last Friday night in defeating #5 World Boxing Association (WBA) contender Carlos Takam (30-2-1, 23 KOs) by a 10 round knockout at the Luzhniki Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia. Povetkin knocked a badly hurt Takam down with a hard left hook to the head at the start of the 10th round.
The shot put Takam down on his back, and the fight was stopped immediately. Povetkin had knocked Takam down late in the 9th round with a hard right hand that sent him down partially through the ropes. Takam was able to make it out of the round due to the time expiring, but there was no way that he could recover in between rounds.
Before a massive crowd of over 20,000 fight fans on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, world ranked and undefeated heavyweight contender Mike “The Rebel” Perez of Cork, Ireland battled France’s Carlos Takam to a ten round majority draw (96-94 Perez, 95-95 x 2).
After winning the first two rounds, Perez suffered a nasty cut over his right eye in the third stanza from an accidental head butt.
“Mike fought well early in the fight but the head butt left him with blurred vision for a couple rounds and seemed to keep from him being able to mount a consistent attack in the second half of the fight,” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions.
Opening up for the HBO broadcast from the Bell Center in Montreal, Canada were two relocated heavyweights. The contest pitted two relocated fighters in late starter Carlos Takam born in Cameroon fighting out of France and Mike Perez born in Cuba and fighting out of Ireland. The bout seemed like it was going to be a forgettable one as the first three rounds saw very little action.
Then a cut on the right brow of Perez opened from an accidental head butt in the third round and neither man got particularly desperate despite facing a possible no contest. Then suddenly the fight picked up. The much larger Takam spent the early goings backing away from Perez and trying to box the former Cuban amateur and the perceived better boxer. Perez appeared to be ahead after five rounds as the fight remained at a slow pace with no real engagements. In round six the fight became stationary and toe to toe and Takam began to dig to the body and work in the uppercut.
Montreal, Canada (December 13, 2013) World ranked heavyweight Mike “The Rebel” Perez will make a quick return to the ring taking on hard-hitting contender Carlos Takam of France on Saturday, JANUARY 18 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
The Perez/Takam clash contested for the World Boxing Council (‘WBC’) US-NBC Title will be a featured bout on the massive event headlined by Canada’s two most popular fighters, Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute. Perez vs. Takam is presented by K2 Promotions while Pascal vs. Bute is promoted by GYM Promotions and Interbox. January 18 will be a tripleheader televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.
“We’re thrilled to bring Mike back to the ring and back on HBO so quickly following his win on NOVEMBER 2 at Madison Square Garden” said Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions. “Mike’s battle with Magomed Abdusalamov was a highly competitive bout and in light of Mago’s injuries from that fight Mike will be dedicating this upcoming bout to him.”