Joshua makes heavy weather of title defence

Anthony Joshua endured a frustrating night before eventually stopping Carlos Takam and defending his IBF and WBA heavyweight titles in 10 rounds in Cardiff.

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 previously little-known opponent from France.

Bigger fights against superior opponents are expected to follow in 2018 — but in defeating his mandatory challenger and excluding that with Klitschko, the Joshua unexpectedly faced the toughest match-up of his career.