Joe Joyce halts Carlos Takam in six, targets Joshua-Usyk winner

Heavyweight contender Joe Joyce scored an entertaining sixth-round stoppage over powerful Frenchman Carlos Takam on the Wembley Enviornment in London.

Joyce, who’s rated No. 10 by The Ring at heavyweight, is now in line to face the winner of the September conflict between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk because the WBO’s main contender nevertheless it must be worrying for these within the Joyce camp that he once more shipped loads of harm.

“What I would like is AJ or Usyk,” stated Joyce. “I’m prepared now.”

Joyce tried to get his jab going early in Spherical 1 and Takam began to go on the lookout for proper palms excessive, touchdown a number of.

That sample continued by way of the second spherical, with Joyce taking too many huge photographs from proper palms and within the third Takam was doing the identical till he was straightened by a left hook-right hand within the closing moments of the session.

Each had their moments in Spherical 4; Joyce with the quantity and together with his jab and body-punching and Takam as he shocked extra jarring overhand rights.

Nevertheless, Joyce flew out of the blocks within the sixth and linked with a brief left hook and the tip was nigh.

Joe adopted in quickly, firing away with each palms on the lookout for the stoppage. Initially Joyce crowded his work however as soon as he slowed and employed some endurance he landed extra usually and Takam couldn’t reply.

Steve Grey’s intervention appeared well timed to spare Takam additional punishment. Time of the stoppage was 0:49 of the sixth.

Joyce is now 13-0 with 12 stoppages.

“He [Takam] hit me with some good photographs and I managed to work out the place to land, so I needed to take my alternative once I noticed it,” he stated, admitting that he had been “mildly damage.”

“I weathered the storm and fired proper again,” Joyce added.

Takam fumed on the stoppage and shoved referee Steve Grey as he protested the ending however he was not providing something again in any respect on the time of the intervention.

Hamzah Sheeraz, a 6-foot-1 junior middleweight, was an excessive amount of for Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria, whom he outboxed after which stopped in 5 rounds.

Sheeraz, a great prospect, was in management all through, scoring nicely with jabs and dealing his approach in behind each palms.

He regarded one-paced for some time however he was getting rounds underneath his belt till he put his foot on the fuel within the fifth. He threw to the physique after which fired in a left uppercut to drop the customer for the primary time and, moments later, with Gurria bleeding and taking harm on the ropes, one other left uppercut spelt the tip.

Quick-handed Sheeraz prolonged his unbeaten run to 13, Gurria is now 15-2.

“I felt him going from the primary spherical, however I remembered what I did in coaching and put it into apply,” stated Sheeraz.

There wasn’t an excellent deal between Nottingham welterweight Ekow Essuman and Chris Jenkins by way of seven rounds however within the eighth Essuman broke by way of with an avalanche of blows and the Welshman crumbled.

Essuman improved to 15-0 (6 KOs) and captured the British and Commonwealth titles. He appeared to get stronger because the struggle wore on and he landed occasional stable single photographs whereas Jenkins stored him at bay for so long as he may with stiff jabs and proper palms however Essuman wouldn’t be denied.

“The cream at all times rises to the highest,” stated the brand new champion. “Conor Benn needed the British title, if he needs it, I’ve bought it. Come and get it.”

Jenkins dips to 22-4-3.

Heavyweight prospect David Adeleye had issues his personal approach in opposition to chunky Bulgarian Mladen Manev, who was plucky however severely outgunned. Manev was down twice and completed by a left to the physique within the fourth spherical which brought about referee Ian John-Lewis to wave it off. Adeleye is now 7-0 with six stoppages whereas Manev falls to 3-10.