JOE JOYCE will risk his lofty world rankings and guaranteed future Heavyweight Title shot when he goes to battle with CARLOS TAKAM at The SSE Arena, Wembley, on Saturday, July 24, live on BT Sport.
Frank Warren’s Queensberry will present this huge event in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.
Destructive Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) is back in action for the first time since his tenth-round win against Daniel Dubois last November when he captured the vacant European title and relieved Dubois of his British and Commonwealth titles.
Victory against former world title challenger Takam (39-5-1, 28 KOs) will cement Joe’s status as the next WBO mandatory challenger.
Promoter FRANK WARREN said: “It was a great win for Joe against Daniel Dubois. He has been inactive since then because we have been waiting for the WBO title situation between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk to be finalized,” Warren continued, “had that fight not happened, Joe would have been fighting Usyk for the vacant title, so we had to wait and see what the outcome would be.
That situation has been sorted. Joe will become the mandatory challenger for the winner and get his world title fight – should he beat Carlos Takam.”
“It is a testament to Joe’s character that he’d take a fight as difficult as this when a World Title fight is waiting around the corner. This is a dangerous, dangerous fight, and Joe needs to make sure he doesn’t let Carlos come in and take everything he’s worked so hard for.”
Besides his sky-high WBO ranking, Joyce is ranked number six by the WBC for Fury’s crown and tenth for the IBF belt held by Joshua, who is also WBA and WBO champion. Joyce would love to better Joshua, who stopped Takam in the tenth round of an IBF and WBA World title defense in October 2017.
Takam, who will be boxing in Britain for the fourth time when he faces Joyce, has been in great form recently.
He has won four consecutive bouts and most recently beat American Jerry Forrest in Las Vegas. Takam remains fiercely ambitious and knows that upsetting Joyce is his route back to the top of the Heavyweight division.
Joe Joyce said: “I only want competitive fights, but everyone wants to avoid me. Carlos Takam didn’t even want to spar me in Las Vegas, so I’m surprised he’s taken the fight. He has operated at a high level for a long time, but on July 24th, The Juggernaut will be activated… and I will run him over.”
JOE DEGUARDIA (President of Star Boxing, Promoter of Carlos Takam): “Joyce-Takam is a significant and compelling heavyweight fight. Certainly, if Carlos wins, it puts him in a position to take Joe Joyce’s #1 World ranking, and eventual World Title shot, so Carlos is extremely anxious to capitalize on this opportunity”.
Carlos Takam added: “I am excited about my fight on July 24th! Hey Joe, let’s give the great boxing fans in the UK an exciting fight! Be ready because I am a problem.”
Warren said: “Joe cannot afford to slip up. He is in a tremendous position, but he has to be focused, and we want to see an impressive performance from him.
“Everyone knows who Takam is. He really made AJ work when he came in as a late substitute, and plenty of people believe the stoppage was slightly premature.
Takam is coming with ambition, and his recent record shows that the desire is there to succeed at the highest level. It is a good voluntary defense. Given Joe’s position with the WBO, he could have taken far easier options than this.”
JOYCE v TAKAM UNDERCARD ANNOUNCED
FRANK WARREN has delivered a spectacular undercard to support Joe Joyce’s big Heavyweight clash against Carlos Takam at SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday July 24, live on BT.
Beside’s Joyce’s WBO International, WBC Silver and Commonwealth Heavyweight championships being on the line, the Hall of Fame promoter has added three further title clashes.
There will be plenty of attention on Hamzah Sheeraz after former two-weight World champion Carl Frampton branded him Britain’s best prospect and added: “If he doesn’t go on and win a world title, I’ll eat my hat.”
Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) makes the third defence of his WBO European title against Spaniard Ezequiel Gurria (15-1, 3 KOs).
Ilford’s Sheeraz, who is highly rated in the WBO rankings for Brian Castano’s World title, will be bidding for a seventh consecutive inside-the-distance win.
He won his title stopping Ryan Kelly in November 2019 and followed that up with impressive defences against Paul Kean and Guido Nicolas Pitto.
Swansea’s Chris Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) will finally defend his British and Commonwealth Welterweight titles against Nottingham’s Ekow Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) after recovering from injury.
They were due to meet back in March, but Jenkins who hasn’t boxed since a technical draw against Liam Taylor in November 2019 pulled out because of a perforated eardrum.
Essuman last fought in September 2020 when he outpointed Cedrick Peynaud to claim the IBF European crown.
In a well matched fourth title fight, Peacock gym ace Chris Bourke (9-0, 6 KOs) defends his WBC International Super-Bantamweight title against Bloxwich’s James Beech Jnr (12-1, 2 KOs).
Streatham’s Bourke has a reputation as a damaging puncher. His title winning performance when he hammered Michael Ramabeletsa inside two rounds last December is proof.
Beech isn’t an easy first defence. Beech Jnr pushed Brad Foster all the way in a British and Commonwealth title challenge 12 months ago before losing on points.
Warren said: “I am delighted with the undercard. All of the boys have a chance to make statements that show they are headline acts of the future.
“Hamzah is now training in California and from what I am told he is impressing everyone out there. He is a real sleeper in the Super-Welterweight division, and I am with Carl Frampton in believing he reaches the very top.
“Chris Bourke is a threat to any of the domestic Super-Bantamweights and I’m sure he would like to do better than Brad Foster did against James.
“I am relieved that Chris Jenkins will finally get another defence after a long layoff, and am delighted to get Ekow Essuman out again. Whoever wins this fight, be it Chris or Ekow, will be well placed to kick on and start looking at World level fights.
“It is a 50-50 fight and few will tip either with great conviction.”
There is also Heavyweight action featuring David Adeleye (6-0, 5 KOs), who’s opponent is TBC.
Elsewhere on the card, Mill Hill’s George Fox (3-0) will make his Queensberry debut, whilst Reading Super-Featherweight hope Charles Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) has also been added to the stacked bill.
‘The Gent’ Micky Burke Jr (4-0, 1 KO) also returns after his first stoppage victory in November last year.
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