Former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers, Coventry city goal poacher, Yakubu Aiyegbeni has shown solidarity with the World Heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua as he prepares for his IBFand WBA titles defence bout..
The two Nigerian sportmen met at the Finchley and District Amateur Boxing Club where Aiyegbeni has reportedly been training as he is also contemplating a carrer in boxing after dropping his soccer boot.
The former Super Eagles forward have been sharing pictures and videos of himself displaying his punching skills, and his recent pose with Joshua who will be guuning for his fourth title at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday.
If the pictures and videos upload are anything to go by the Nigeria Ex-international, Yakubu Aiyegbeni seems to be following the steps of Legendary Rio Ferdinand( Former Manchester United Player) who is also taking up boxing,
Yakubu who has scored 21 goals in his 57 appearances for Nigeria since his 2000 debut and also remains the third highest ever international goalscorer for Nigeria is anxiously looking forward to the Saturday’s headline fight between the Nigerian born boxer and a Cameroonian decendant, Carlos Takam.
The bout as reported will begin at approximately 11pm UK time(!0; pm Nigerian Time), this could be subject to delays depending on the duration of other fights on the night.
The Sagamu indigene boasts of an unblemished professional record of 19 KO wins from 19 fights, including a memorable triumph over Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April. Both his IBF and WBA belts are expected to be on the line.
In his 12 years as a professional boxer, Takam has suffered three defeats, with one draw and 35 victories. Standing at 6ft 5in tall, the heavy-handed slugger has the strength and physicality to test Joshua – in theory.
Takam, a mandatory challenger, said it would be the biggest night of his 39-fight professional career that “will change my sporting life, but not my personal life.” “Sometimes late notice means less pressure,” said Christian Cherchi, Takam’s promoter.
Anthony Joshua is relishing the “great responsibility” of attempting to become the first man to hold all four heavyweight world titles
In Professional boxing history no man has held four titles, with Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, James ‘Buster’ Douglas, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury all laying claim to three belts at once.
At Thursday’s final news conference before his meeting with France’s Takam, Joshua stressed he wants to put April’s Wembley victory over Klitschko behind him.
“The mindset of a fighter has to be leave that last fight where it was and move on to the next opportunity,” said Joshua.
“If I am living off past wins I may as well give up. I can’t lose this fight and say ‘I won a good one last time’. No-one cares.”
