Anthony Joshua vs Carlos Takam: Anthony Joshua calls for unification fight with Deontay Wilder after stopping Carlos Takam

ANTHONY JOSHUA insisted he has “no interest” in the referee’s controversial decision to stop Carlos Takam and says a unification fight with Deontay Wilder “has to happen” after his victory in Cardiff.

A sell-out 78,000 crowd crammed into the Principality Stadium to watch Britian’s king of the ring, but they were left jeering after the final bell.

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The referee stepped in to stop the fight in the tenth round after deeming Takam could take no further punishment.

But the warrior won over the home crowd with a valiant display after suffering two cuts above his eye early doors.

Despite being denied the opportunity to knock Takam out, Joshua was still delighted to end the year by stretching his record to a perfect 20-0.

AJ said: “I come to fight, I don’t sit on the edge and make decisions. It was a good fight until the ref stopped it – I have the utmost respect for Takam putting on a good show.

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“I have no interest in what is going on with the officials, my job is to worry about my opponent.

“I was watching and trying to break him down round by round and unfortunately the ref stopped it.

“I think people want to see Takam unconscious on the floor. That’s where I was trying to get to, ten rounds, eleven, twelve, I was getting there.

“I had no control over the referee’s decision, but we got the win and now we are onto a positive 2018.”

Joshua brutally suffered a broken nose early in the clash after being caught by an accidental headbutt from his opponent.

“It feels it [broken],” said Joshua. “This is championship fighting and imagine it broke and I couldn’t breathe and he started catching up in the later rounds, it would have been a disaster so I had to keep my cool.

“I have a few months to heal it up. I’ll go see some good doctors to go crack it back in place and then we will continue with training.”

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Now Joshua has his mandatory defence of his IBF title now out of the way, he can press on with his ambitions to unify the heavyweight division by the end of next year.

Promoter Eddie Hearn is lining up three fights for his man in 2018 and if all goes to plan two of them will be against WBO champion Parker and WBC belt holder Deontay Wilder.

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And on a showdown with American Wilder, AJ added: “It has to happen for sure. But it comes to a decision where the IBO, WBA and IBF that have mandatories.

“Providing I am free, I can’t fight Joe Bloggs from anywhere – I have to fight championship fighters. These are fighters I have to compete with.

“Now there are belts on the line there are obligations as champion, and once I fulfil those my door is open to any challenger. It’s no problem.”