On this day in 2017: Anthony Joshua stops Carlos Takam in 10th to retain belts

Anthony Joshua retained his IBF and WBA heavyweight titles with a 10th-round stoppage of Carlos Takam at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on this day in 2017.

In his first fight since ending the career of the great and once-dominant Wladimir Klitschko, 28-year-old Joshua required his advantages in size, speed and power to gradually wear down his little-known opponent from France.

In front of a world-record indoor fight crowd of an estimated 76,000, comfortably beyond the 63,315 present when Muhammad Ali defeated Leon Spinks at the New Orleans Superdome in 1978, Joshua unexpectedly faced one of the toughest fights of his career to date.

Joshua, who had weighed in at a career-heaviest 18st 2lb, against his 16st 11lb opponent, made much of his significant size advantage before being caught by Takam’s head in the second round and appearing to suffer a broken nose.

Takam was first sent to the canvas late in the fourth round and was examined by the ringside doctor in the next after a significant cut opened up by his left eye.

The wound was examined further in the ninth round and the expected stoppage duly arrived after one minute and 34 seconds of round 10, much to Takam’s anger and boos from some of those in attendance.

Asked about the decision, Joshua said: “It was a good fight. I have no interest with what’s going on with the officials, that’s not my job.

“Unfortunately, the ref stopped it. I think people wanted to see Takam on the floor and I was getting there.”