The next big thing in the boxing world has a date for his next bout. Anthony Joshua, the WBA and IBF heavyweight champion, puts some of his gold on the line against mandatory challenger Carlos Takam on October 28. Joshua was originally scheduled to fight Kubrat Pulev but the Bulgarian pulled out due to injury just 12 days before the fight.
Oddsmakers are not giving Takam much of a chance in this one, with Joshua Sportsbook as a massive -5000 favorite. Takam finds himself coming back at +1400.
Joshua is perhaps more naturally gifted than any heavyweight we have seen in some time with a combination of size, speed and athleticism rarely seen. AJ has devastating power with all 19 of his career wins coming by knockout – with 16 opponents never seeing the fourth round. The former Olympic gold medalist has good fundamentals but his game is really built around his power.
Takam is 35-3-1 as a professional with wins in five of his past six. The Cameroonian-French fighter is a grinder who looks to bully his opponent and wear him down over time. You can say that Takam is more of a brawler than a boxer. A big plus for Takam is that he was training for this fight in case Pulev was to pull out, so though he officially takes this fight on short notice, he will be in good shape.