With a heavy heart, Cameroonian boxer – Armand Carlos Netsing Takam outpunched Jerry Forrest to score a 10-round unanimous decision victory inside the MGM Grand “Bubble” on Thursday to prove why he is still a heavyweight force.
Takam, a former world title challenger and 2004 Olympian dictated the early rounds whiles Forrest [26-4, 20 KOs] closed the fight strong as the aggressor, winning three of the last four rounds.
The Judges scored the bout 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 in favour of the big Cameroonian. According to CompuBox, Takam landed 27 more power punches (84 to 57).
“My father passed away a week ago, so I came into the fight with a heavy heart. It may not have been a spectacular knockout, but most importantly, we got the win,” Takam said in a post fight interview.
“We took this fight on short notice, but the opportunity on ESPN was too big to pass up. We knew we could beat him regardless.
The Littoral [Cameroon] born Takam who challenged Anthony Joshua for the unified WBA [Super], IBF, and IBO heavyweight titles in 2017 announced his readiness for another world title shot:
“I want anyone in the top five, or a title shot if that materializes.”
In the co-feature, Carlos Castro [26-0, 11 KOs] defeated the most notable name of his career, knocking out former world title challenger – Cesar Juarez [25-9-1, 19 KOs] in junior featherweight bout after Juarez’s corner stopped the one-sided bout following the conclusion of the fourth round.
Juarez has now lost two fights in a row.
“I admire Cesar Juarez as a Mexican warrior and for everything he’s given the sport. I told him it was an honor to share the ring with him,” Castro said. “I want any title opportunity or an interim title shot. Whatever comes my way, I am ready. I am highly ranked and prepared for the next step.”
— In a six-round battle of undefeated junior lightweight prospects, Joshafat Ortiz [8-0, 4 KOs] edged Joshua Orta [6-1, 2 KOs] by majority decision [57-57, 58-56 2x]. Ortiz swept the first four rounds on two of the judges’ cards.
— Nine days after losing his first professional fight, middleweight Donte Stubbs [7-1, 2 KOs] upset the previously unbeaten Fred Wilson Jr. [6-1-2, 2 KOs] by six-round unanimous decision [58-53 2x, 58-54]. Stubbs scored knockdowns in the third and fifth rounds, and Wilson had a point deducted for holding in the fourth.
— In a scheduled four-round welterweight fight that featured the rare double knockdown, Corey Champion [2-3, 2 KOs] knocked out Peter Cortez [2-2, 1 KO] in the opening round. Champion knocked down Cortez early in the round, then the double knockdown occurred. Champion roared back to stop Cortez in an instant undercard classic.
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