YOKA TAKAM. Tony Yoka lost on points against the experienced Carlos Takam in Paris on Saturday evening, ten months after a first shock defeat against Martin Bakole. The 2016 Olympic champion’s pro career is on hold, but Yoka gave several answers when he left the ring…
[Updated March 12, 2023 at 6:45 a.m.] Will we really see Tony Yoka again in a professional boxing ring? The heavyweight, flagship of French boxing since signing with Canal in the wake of his Olympic title in Rio in 2016, experienced a cruel disappointment on Saturday evening in Paris, chaining a second defeat in less than 10 months. Beyond the result, a defeat on points against the experienced but aging Carlos Takam, 42, is the impression left on the ring that can be worrying. The French did not show a spectacular progression, seeming without weapons, without combination against an opponent who had obviously prepared his case well…
Tony Yoka lost on points (split decision) and the Frenchman, 2016 Olympic heavyweight champion, disappointed again, displaying a level and form far from his dreams of competing with the leaders of boxing’s premier class . Carlos Takam has demonstrated his experience from the top of his 47 fights so far (39 wins, 7 losses and a draw). Dominated from the start of the fight, confronted by an explosive Carlos Takam despite his 42 years and displaying a strong power to hold and resist the reach of the taller Frenchman, Tony Yoka seemed inhibited and helpless throughout the first part of the fight . The Frenchman raised his head in rounds 7, 8 and 9 without however managing to reverse the trend to bow logically after the judges’ decision at the end of the 10 rounds of 3 minutes.
“Thank you everyone. It’s been almost a year since I fought and I wanted a big fight. Congratulations to Carlos, he was stronger but I will go back and work even harder”, hot commented French. “I was counting on this fight to get back to winning ways in front of my home crowd. I’m very disappointed, unlike last year when I did a very bad preparation. He, like me, did a lot of preparation. He was the most strong tactically”, then commented Yoka at the microphone of Canal. “It’s hard, more than last year. It’s disappointing, I wanted to please the public, it was a good fight. I progressed in some aspects but not enough. I’m going to go back to work.”
No question therefore of giving up for Yoka even if the challenge promises to be even greater for the boxer supported by Canal and who will have to recover from a 2nd defeat in less than a year, a ranking and a reputation. free fall. Yoka fell in front of a boxer who knew him very well, Carlos Takam, of whom he was for a time the sparring partner during his amateur career. “I worked hard for this fight. I’m a fan of Tony, he’s a champion, keep supporting him,” chanted an almost sympathetic Takam for his caddie.
