Carlos Takam

Joshua's flawless professional record now stands at 20 victories and as many knockouts, but this was not a display to stand alongside his statement triumph over the great Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April.

An accidental clash of heads in round two left the 28-year-old Briton mopping blood from his nose and mouth – Joshua claimed the nose was broken in his post-fight interview - and Takam felt his wrath two sessions later when a short left hook dropped him to the canvas.

Takam (35-3-1) stepped in at late notice for this weekend's WBA, IBF and IBO heavyweight title clash with Joshua after the Briton's original opponent Kubrat Pulev withdrew due to injury.

It meant a quick change in the 28-year-old's preparations for the bout in Cardiff, with Takam a very different fighter to Pulev.

But Joshua is relishing the challenge and knows he will need a different approach to topple his 36-year-old opponent and retain his belts.

Joshua, who boasts a 19-0 professional record, was expected to put his belts on the line against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on October 29, however an injury to Pulev in sparring put the bout in doubt. 

On Tuesday (NZ time), the IBF No 1 and current mandatory contender was forced to withdraw due to the muscle tear in his shoulder and Takam was officially called in for the bout.

The 36-year-old currently sits immediately below Pulev in the IBF ratings, and was the top target for Joshua's manager Eddie Hearn should Pulev pull out of the fight.

Unbeaten powerhouse Joshua was due to take on Bulgarian Pulev in his first fight since defending his IBF belt and claiming the WBA and IBO straps by defeating Wladimir Klitschko in an epic encounter at Wembley in April.

However, Pulev - the IBF's mandatory challenger - is not fit to participate in the bout, which was scheduled to take place in Cardiff on October 28, having strained muscles in a sparring session.

Promoters Matchroom confirmed the IBF's third-ranked fighter Takam as replacement for Pulev on Monday.

After 12 rounds and the toughest test of his career, the New Zealand heavyweight has a guaranteed world title shot after a unanimous points decision over Carlos Takam.

Parker and Takam fight in south Auckland on Saturday night in an IBF eliminator - with the winner getting the mandatory right to challenge for the organisation's heavyweight belt, currently worn by Britain's Anthony Joshua.

It's a situation that has rushed up on the 24-year-old Kiwi, who has an unbeaten run of 18 fights over just three years as a professional.

Takam cut an imposing presence as he posed for the media in Auckland on Wednesday.

The Cameroon-born Frenchman is expected to carry a slight weight advantage, possibly as much as four kilograms (110 to 106), into the May 21 heavyweight showdown in Manukau.

Parker fights France's Carlos Takam in an IBF eliminator on May 21 in Auckland, with Holmes indicating he'd like to come to New Zealand to see the fight that has major ramifications for the division.

The winner gets the mandatory position to challenge Britain's Anthony Joshua for his IBF belt.

While both fighters are knockout artists, Barry predicts a tough slog for the winner of the May 21 fight in Auckland.

The ramifications are huge with the victor going on to have the mandatory position to fight the winner of this weekend's title fight between champion Charles Martin (US) and Anthony Joshua (GB) in London.

France-based Cameroon fighter Takam tweeted a message to Parker this morning saying he would knock out the South Aucklander at Manukau's Vodafone Events Centre, a provocation that Parker quickly responded to.