In boxing we the fans are taken through the walk of steps on the staircase that ultimately leads to the fights we want to see. With some fighters, sadly more steps are required for us, the fans, to walk than others. The question coming into this weekend is what step are we the fans on, on the heavyweight staircase to the showdowns we really want to see?
One of the biggest names in boxing, and the man who has brought back relevancy to the heavyweight division returns this Saturday night when Anthony Joshua goes up against mandatory challenger Carlos Takam.
At the Principality Stadium where more than 75,000 fans will set boxing’s all-time indoor attendance record will be the next stop of Joshua’s tour to bring back the heavyweight division. A lot will be on the line, mainly an upcoming heavyweight showdown with Deontay Wilder, all eyes will be on Joshua to impress. At 19-0 with 19 KOs, Joshua picked up the WBA belt to go with his IBF crown on April 29th in a leading Fight of the Year thriller with Wladimir Klitschko.
Joshua’s strategy coming in is to pressure Takam’s spirit in the early rounds, particularly by attacking the body. With the crowd being both loud and ruckus, Joshua must stay disciplined and not give any openings to Takam.
In the case of Takam, at 35-3-1 with 27 KOs, the 2004 Olympian is looking to shock the world and become heavyweight champion. Takam’s strategy coming in will be to take Joshua to the distance and look to counter over Joshua’s jab effectively. If he is successful and can frustrate Joshua, he will be able to catch him late in the fight.
There is no secret that the betting odds along with the public assumptions are on Joshua, but he must be respectful of his opponent for in the history of boxing we’ve seen many upsets. More importantly with top level fighters we’ve seen the horrible trait of overlooking the man in front for the next man up.
The public’s eyes have been back on heavyweight boxing, for its list of legends are some of the biggest names in sports history. This Saturday night, I believe Anthony Joshua will respect Takam and look to make a statement to Wilder (Who fights next Saturday 11/4) on what is to come, and hopefully we’ll be concluding our steps, and will arrive at the top of our staircase.
Prediction: I have Joshua winning via 7th round KO
