Joshua takes another step to stardom

If Carlos Takam’s remarkable punch resistance was the most important aspect of Saturday’s world heavyweight title fight, the fact Anthony Joshua still has so much to learn was the next.
It should not be overlooked that, with only 12 days to prepare for the previously little-known Frenchman after nine weeks’ training for Kubrat Pulev, his fight build-up was far from ideal, but for far too much of the 10 rounds at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium he fought with a one-dimensional approach.
Despite Takam’s angry appeals, Joshua’s refusal to celebrate and boos from many of the estimated 76,000 present at referee Phil Edwards’ decision to rescue the 36-year-old from increasing punishment, the reality remains that the stoppage was the correct call.
In consistently taking Joshua’s most powerful punches, he was significantly behind on the scorecards, repeatedly dabbing at the blood and swelling hampering his vision, and struggling to fight back.
Such was the punishing and one-sided nature of his defeat that concerns persisted from some of those present about his condition post-fight. His did not, but fighters’ conditions have previously dramatically deteriorated after the final bell; although he’s been stopped only once before, by Russia’s Alexander Povetkin, the likelihood is also he will never again be quite the same.
That he consistently posed so little threat to Joshua was actually what demonstrated what it was the IBF and WBA heavyweight champion, 28, got wrong. After both a measured and promising start to his fourth world title defense, Joshua — who fought under both increasing pressure and expectations following the excitement of his stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko — lost his composure from the third round when a headbutt from Takam caught his nose.
It was confirmed post-fight that he had suffered only significant swelling and not a break, but he thereafter fought with anger and chose to “headhunt” with power punches while neglecting the jab and without targeting Takam’s body when doing both could have secured the convincing stoppage he sought.
In the corner his experienced trainer Rob McCracken could be heard instructing him to relax, but Joshua repeatedly ignored his instructions and amid Takam’s awkward movement instead largely fought in straight lines.
The Frenchman proved neither big, powerful, nor skilled enough to ever hurt the champion, but if he had been a more dangerous puncher, the way his feet and head movement troubled Joshua would have been cause for significant concern.
Joshua spoke post-fight of Takam’s ability to “ride that right hand,” but overlooked the fact he threw it with so little subtlety and why comparisons with the athletic-but-mechanical Frank Bruno, another British world heavyweight champion, remain apt. It would help, for starters, to trim down from his career-heaviest 18st 2lbs to be more loose and fluid.
If he is to prove the fighter he is so widely believed to be then Takam — only his 20th professional opponent after a short amateur career — will have taught him more than any other opponent bar Klitschko. Of those 20, only his past two and those against Dominic Breazeale and Dillian Whyte were fights in which he was tested, and it perhaps said much that when Takam was hurt early — unlike against Klitschko when Joshua was nearly stopped amid his exhaustion after trying to force the knockout having sent the Ukrainian to the canvas — he chose to take his time.
It is only because interest and expectations surrounding Joshua, who fought in front of a world-record indoor fight crowd, are so high that in only his 20th fight a one-sided victory led to some disappointment.
In the long term, that Saturday’s was bloody, brutal, concluded with some controversy and prompted questions surrounding his potential, will likely work to enhance his appeal.

Source:Arabnews