Boxing: Armand Carlos Netsing Takam (born 6 December 1980), best known as Carlos Takam, is a Cameroonian-French professional boxer and former WBC Silver heavyweight champion.

As an amateur, he represented Cameroon in the super heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympics. 2003, at the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, Takam captured the bronze medal in his weight division.

He made his debut as a professional in France on December 10, 2005, when he defeated Zinidine Benmakhlouf of Belgium. He had a record of 17 wins, 0 losses, 0 draws and at 16 knockouts by the end of 2008.

Takam made his HBO debut on 18 January 2014 against Cuban Mike Perez. The fight started slow with little action in the first five rounds, however, Takam took over starting in round six, as he planted his feet inside and was able to work Perez over. The Cuban’s arms got heavier and heavier as the fight went on, and he didn’t seem to have his usual snap or speed. Takam was able to hurt Perez in round six and round ten.

On 16 October 2017, Takam, 33 years old, was made the replacement to fight Anthony Joshua when Joshua’s opponent Kubrat Pulev pulled out with a shoulder injury.

Since Takam and Nigerian born Anthony Joshua’s bout has been fixed both countries have been taken sides. While Cameroonians are all out rooting for their son Takam, the rave here in Nigeria is not in anyway lesser.

Ahead of Saturday when the centre stage will be set for the Nigerian-born Anthony Joshua to defend his WBA and IBF heavyweight title against the Cameroonian-born French boxer, the country is already agog with publicity and high spirit momentum.

Nigerians are anxiously looking forward to the bout with the same strong feeling they have for football. Nigerians support the Super Eagles of Nigeria no matter who their opponent is, and at what level. This explain the support Joshua is having back home in Nigeria.

Nigerians at Anthony Joshua’s hometown believes when their son as he has threatened to target Carlos Takam’s body as he plots to fight “in a phone box”.

The IBF and WBA ‘super’ heavyweight champion is four-and-a-half inches taller than his late-notice opponent Takam this weekend in Cardiff, having initially prepared to fight the much rangier Kubrat Pulev.

“I’m going to stand in front of [Takam] and gun his tree down because that’s what he does,” Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports.

“A fighter like him wants to get on the inside and work you around the body. I can’t keep punching straight if a fighter is on my chest, so I need to work on my inside game and stand in a phone box. Those fights come down to will, heart and whoever wants it more.

“He disheartens you. Imagine throwing your best shots and they are still in front of you. It’s disheartening. To do that for 12 rounds takes a lot of energy so sometimes I’ll have to stand in front of him, trade him, and go to war. I need to break his will, to break his heart.

“Takam keeps on coming, keeps on coming. He works the body well and loves a left hook. I already thought he was a game, well-rounded fighter so what is going to happen when he comes here and has everything to take home with him? I’ll see an improved Takam.”

Cameroon-born Takam has been stopped just once in 39 fights, by Alexander Povetkin, and the durable challenger was compared to a “block of cement” by Joshua last week.

The world heavyweight champion said: “With Pulev it wasn’t about whipping him around the body, it was about staying off the line and boxing down the middle. Carlos is different – he can trade down the middle. My speed will beat his combinations. A good way to beat Carlos is to take his body out, that’s what Povetkin did to him.”

Joshua added: “[Takam] moves around a lot, and boxes well. As the rounds start going on he likes to trade, and throw hooks on the inside.

“I’ve had sparring partners who have tried to knock me out, and I’ve had to dig in and give them some body shots. So my inside game has definitely improved. If we stand on the inside and start trading, it will be entertaining.”

Joshua’s trainer Rob McCracken confirmed they would revamp his final sparring sessions by bringing in training partners who would replicate Takam’s physique. McCracken said: “Anthony is good against shorter opponents, anyway.”

KweseTv has stormed the Nigeria-home town of Joshua for a live broadcast of the fight.

The much-anticipated bout is billed for Saturday in Cardiff, Wales, and Kwese Tv would showcase the hometown of Joshua and her indigenes to the world while also simultaneously beaming live the fight in England.

The General Manager, Kwese Free Sports Nigeria, Chichi Nwoko who said this added that Kwese Tv would put in place a spectacular carnival-like show to celebrate the fight and to commemorate Sagamu Day.

Fans  of boxing are willing to pay  as much as  €24.95 to watch IBF and WBA ‘super’heavy weight champion, Anthony Joshua  take on Cameroon-born  Carlos Takam who  has been stopped just once in 39 fights, by Alexander Povetkin on October 28 at  the Principality Stadium,Cardiff.
The France-based Cameroonian who was a late replacement for Kubrat Pulev however told skysports that he hopes to win the fight.

“I don’t know if I’m excited stressed or confused but I’m definitely ready for the fight,” Takam told Sky Sports News.

“It will be a proper fight.

“AJ is a good boxer who likes to box and I like opponents who like to come forward and throw punches. I like to get stuck in as well.
“I believe in myself. I never go into a fight thinking I might lose – I’m a winner, I like to win not to lose.

“I’m not scared, 80,000 fans means nothing to me. I’ve boxed in New Zealand, Canada, Russia [so] that won’t faze me.

“It’s about what happens in the ring. It’s about me and him.”

However Anthony Joshua also declared,”I’m going to stand in front of [Takam] and chop his tree down, because that’s what he does,” Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports.

As of October 2017, Joshua is ranked as the world’s best heavyweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and BoxRec, and second best by The Ring.

 
Main event

Anthony Joshua v Carlos Takam (IBF and WBA heavyweight)

Undercard

Kal Yafai v Sho Ishida (WBA world super-flyweight)

Dillian Whyte v Robert Helenius (WBC silver heavyweight)

Katie Taylor v Anahi Esther (WBA lightweight)

Frank Buglioni v Craig Richards (British light-heavyweight)

Lenroy Thomas v Dave Allen (Commonwealth heavyweight)

Joe Cordina, Joshua Buatsi and Lawrence Okolie

Ronaldo and Messi have been rivals at the pinnacle of the footballing world for the best part of a decade – sharing the last nine Ballon d’Or awards between them.

But while Barcelona’s Messi leads the way in that department, winning five to Ronaldo’s four, Joshua believes the Portuguese would have the edge in the boxing ring.

 Joshua said on Youtube: ‘Messi’s got that ruggedness but Ronaldo looks like he’s got the Bruce Lee – bang!

‘You know what I mean, just stand there and lick you with one hook and you’re finished. Messi seems a bit more like his name… messy and rugged.’

World heavyweight champion Joshua also spoke of his appreciation for Ronaldo’s professionalism, revealing that he was inspired by the Real Madrid man’s work ethic and how he has marketed himself.

‘I’ve been pro now for three years, and I think early on I was trying to do everything because with boxing I come into the game as a professional,’ Joshua added.

‘Remember I haven’t had much background, so I had to present myself to the world – so for the first three years I was managing, managing, marketing and marketing.

‘But now I’m at a stage where I’ve just said I’ve done that, now I want to focus on being the best boxer then I get the inspiration from Ronaldo.

‘It’s just little things. He would train by himself afterwards to work on what he wanted to work on.

 Joshua revealed he was inspired by how Ronaldo keeps himself in peak physical condition

 ‘I was speaking to [Ronaldo’s former Manchester United team-mate Rio] Ferdinand who said he was the only one in the team back then who had masseuses, nutritionists, psychologists, so he had that desire.’

Joshua said the footballer he’d most like to fight would be Manchester City’s Yaya Toure

But w hat of if Ronaldo and Manchester City’s Yaya Toure face each other in the ring? This question also got Joshua laughing loud but could not give a straight answer but he admitted that the footballer he’d most like to go up against in the ring would be Yaya Toure.

 Why Yaya Toure? When pressed for an answer, Joshua explained he would choose to take on the Ivorian powerhouse because ‘he’s a bit of a beast’.

Joshua will face Bulgarian fighter Kubrat Pulev on October 28 in Cardiff with his unified IBF, WBA and IBO heavyweight titles on the line.

While Messi retains the edge in terms of Ballon d’Or triumphs, Ronaldo claimed the 2016 award and looks certain to repeat in 2017 after Madrid won the Champions League and La Liga last season.