Tony Yoka suffered his second consecutive defeat on Saturday evening by losing to a Carlos Takam who nevertheless dislocated his shoulder during the fight.
For Tony Yoka, the disappointment lives up to expectations. Crowned Olympic champion in Rio in 2016, the native of Paris was quickly propelled as the new star of boxing in France. Canal+ bet big on him, signing him for 15 fights, with a very nice check at stake and above all a slogan: “La Conquête. »
Of this conquest, that of the world title among heavyweights, which has always been refused to French boxers, there is not much left today. Beaten for the first time among professionals in May 2022, stunned by the blows of Martin Bakole, Tony Yoka suffered a new defeat for his return last Saturday at the Zenith. This time, it was against one of his compatriots, the very respectable veteran Carlos Takam, that he lost.
And if the defeat had something to hurt him, as it calls into question a lot of things for Tony Yoka, the detail revealed this Monday by L’Equipe will put salt on the wound. Carlos Takam finished the fight injured, since he dislocated his shoulder in the 8th round, by shooting a right in the void. We can see that the Franco-Cameroonian was greatly diminished, since he was unable to raise his right arm when the referee declared him the winner of the fight.
IT’S A NEW DEFEAT FOR TONY YOKA 😨
42-year-old boxer Carlos Takam wins by split decision! #YokaTakam
— La Sueur (@LaSueur_off) March 11, 2023
Takam had his shoulder put back in place by his osteopath after the fight, in the locker room. Even though he had less mobility with his right arm during the last two and a half rounds, Tony Yoka was not able to take advantage of it. The consequence of an overly cautious tactical approach on the part of the Rio Olympic champion, according to coach Saïd Bennajem.
“When he saw that it wasn’t working, he has not changed, because I have the impression that his corner did not ask him to. How can Yoka, with his enormous qualities, have fearful boxing? », Bennajem wonders.
