Carlos Takam Defeats Jerry Forrest: Calls Out Oscar Rivas & Tyson Fury

Heavyweights Carlos Takam (39-5-1, 28 KOs) of Cameroon and Virginia's Jerry Forrest (26-4, 20 KOs) clashed Thursday night in going the distance ten rounds on the ESPN main event at the "Bubble" from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was a tough win for the veteran Takam as he was cut but was able to prevail over Forrest.

Takam was busy from the opening round as Forrest was patient. In the second, Takam connected with a lopping right as the southpaw Forrest stalked. Boxing away in the third, Takam stood busy as Forrest just went forward still figuring out the busy Takam. Bouncing around in the fourth, Takam outworked Forrest as he pressed the action. Chopping away with the overhand right in the fifth, Takam connected but was cut from a head butt as Forrest began to adjust.

Halfway through in the sixth, Takam appeared to be bothered by the cut as he kept wiping his eye, Forrest up against the ropes fought back in the closing seconds of the round. Forrest had a good roundbegan to target the eye in the seventh as Takam's cut was bothering him. Takam kept bleeding from his cut as Forrest was not busy enough in the eighth. Late in the fight in the ninth, Forrest appeared composed stalking as Takam's cut got worst and tiring away. The tenth and final round, Takam boxed kept his distance as Forrest stalked and didn't do much.

In the end the judges scored the bout, 98-92, 97-93, and 96-94 as Takam wins a unanimous decision.

“My father passed away a week ago, so I came into the fight with a heavy heart. It may not have been a spectacular knockout, but most importantly, we got the win," Takam said. “We took this fight on short notice, but the opportunity on ESPN was too big to pass up. We knew we could beat him regardless. “I want anyone in the top five, or a title shot if that materializes.”

In the co-feature bout Phoenix super bantamweight Carlos Castro (26-0, 11 KOs) stopped Mexican veteran Cesar Juarez (25-8, 19 KOs) of Mexico City in four. Boxing patient in the early rounds, Castro connected Juarez with a solid right in round two. Castro let his hands go in the third, ripping Juarez with some good shots. Teeing off in the fourth, Castro continued to pound Juarez, ripping to body but the veteran fought back. However after completing four rounds Juarez could not continue.

“I admire Cesar Juarez as a Mexican warrior and for everything he’s given the sport. I told him it was an honor to share the ring with him," Castro said. “I want any title opportunity or an interim title shot. Whatever comes my way, I am ready. I am highly ranked and prepared for the next step.”

Undefeated super featherweight prospects Puerto Rico's Joshafat Ortiz (8-0, 4 KOs) won a majority decision over Joshua Orta (6-1, 2 KOs) of Massachusetts squared off. Ortiz boxed well in the opening round as Orta looked stiff. Continuing to box in the second, Ortiz outworked Orta. In the third, Orta stalked as Ortiz was busy mixing it up.

Halfway through in the fourth, it was all Ortiz as he continued to be the busier fighter with Orta swinging attempting to work his way in. There was a good exchange in the fifth as Orta and Ortiz traded in the center, Ortiz appeared to be cut on the right eye. The sixth and final round, Ortiz kept busy working the jab but Orta sensing the urgency but Ortiz was the superior working his way to a decision victory.

The judges scored the bout 58-56, 58-56, and 57-57

Middleweight Donte Stubbs (7-1, 2 KOs) of Riverside, California handed Fred Wilson Jr. (6-1-2, 2 KOs) of Cleveland his first defeat, winning a unanimous decision in opening the ESPN telecast. It was a slow start as Wilson boxed and Stubbs pressed working his way in on the taller fighter. Stubbs was bleeding from the nose but charged and in the closing seconds of the third an overhand right by Stubbs sat Wilson down as Stubbs scored the knockdown.

The referee deducted a point in the fourth from Wilson for holding, following the break Stubbs continued to be the aggressor scoring another knockdown in the fifth working his way to a unanimous decision as the judges scored the bout 58-53, 58-54, and 58-54.

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