Controversy as Anthony Joshua retains world heavyweight titles

Controversy as Anthony Joshua retains world heavyweight titles

Anthony Joshua maintained his 100 per cent knockout ratio by stopping a bloodied Carlos Takam in the tenth round on Saturday.

The English boxer retained his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association world heavyweight titles with a devastating display of his punching power to finish Cameroon ' s France - based challenger at the Principality Stadium .

Takam became Joshua ' s 20 th consecutive knockout victim in a fourth defence of his IBF belt and first of his WBA title , but the challenger stubbornly resisted the champion after being cut by the right eye in the fourth round .

" It was a good fight until the ref stopped it . I have the upmost respect for Takam , " said Joshua , who injured his nose from a headbutt in the second round .
" Imagine if it ' s broke and I couldn 't breath and he started catching up in the middle rounds ? It would have been a disaster , so I kept my cool . You have to control these situations because , if I showed any signs of weakness , the ref could have jumped in . "
Takam was also given a count in the fourth round before being finished off by a barrage of unanswered punches which prompted the referee Phil Edwards to stop it .

Takam complained it was a premature stoppage , which was jeered by Joshua ' s fans , and the challenger was given warm applause afterwards.

" I don ' t think they should have stopped it , " said Takam .
" I want the rematch if Anthony gives me it . "

Takam , 36 , had only accepted his first world title shot at less than two weeks ’ notice and fought for most of the fight with a gruesome cut which obscured his vision.

For Takam , it was a fourth career defeat after a points loss to Parker last year and knockout loss to Russia ’ s Alexander Povetkin in 2014 .

Takam , who boxed for Cameroon at the 2004 Olympics before relocating to Paris a year later , was drafted in as a late replacement opponent at 12 days ’ notice after Bulgaria ’ s Kubrat Pulev injured a shoulder .

Joshua made an especially cautious start , not landing any power punches in the opening round , as he took time to assess Takam , who fought out of a crouch and burst forward with punches .

Joshua landed a good left - right combination in the second round , but did not have as much success in the third .
In the fourth, Takam suffered a nasty cut by the right eye from a big right from Joshua which caused him problems instantly with his vision due to the blood.

Shook by a right
When the fight continued , Takam was caught by a left that sent him spinning and was given a count as his glove was ruled to have touched down .

Takam bravely fought back in the fifth but Joshua teed off on him in the sixth, landing heavy , unanswered blows .
Takam had some of his best moments of the fight in the seventh round as he repeatedly caught Joshua .

Joshua tried to regain momentum in the eighth with two left hands that shook Takam , who was inspected by the ringside doctor at the start of the ninth round .
Takam was allowed to fight on but in the tenth he was shook by a right to the head and as Joshua unloaded more punches that landed flush, referee Phil Edwards stopped the fight.

On the undercard , Dillian Whyte unanimously out - pointed Finland’ s Robert Helenius by scores of 119 - 109 twice and 118- 110 to move into contention for a shot at the WBC world heavyweight title.

Ireland’ s Katie Taylor won a world title in her seventh professional fight after unanimously out - pointing Anahi Sanchez for the vacant WBA lightweight belt by three scores of 99 - 90 .

England ’ s Kal Yafai also unanimously out -pointed Japan ’ s Sho Ishida in a second defence of his WBA world super - flyweight title, winning by scores of 118- 110, 116- 112 and 116- 112 .