Top Rank announces Takam-Forrest for July 9th

Top Rank Press Release

02/07/2020

Top Rank announces Takam-Forrest for July 9th

On Thursday, July 9th, France's Carlos Takam will battle Jerry “Slug” Forrest in a heavyweight ten-rounder. ESPN will televise. Takam steps in to replace Jarrell Miller, who failed a PED test last week. Takam (38-5-1, 28 KOs) has won three straight, including a February win over Fabio Maldonado. Forrest (26-3, 20 KOs) is best known for his 2019 loss to Jermaine Franklin [a verdict most observers felt was wrongly given to Franklin]. 
 
 A 2004 Olympian for his native Cameroon, the 39 year-old Takam, who is co-promoted by Star Boxing, has wins over Michael Grant and Tony Thompson. “For the past two weeks, I didn’t think I was fighting since my fight with Oscar Rivas fell through, but I stayed ready,” Takam said. “I want to give a great fight to everyone watching on ESPN.”
 
“I respect Carlos Takam as a man, but I will have to hurt him and do what I have to do to win," Forrest said. "This is an amazing opportunity for me to fight on ESPN. I feel I've earned it, and I’m more than ready. The change in opponent was of no huge concern. Though Takam has been more active and is in better shape, he and Jarrell Miller have a similar style, so I didn’t have to change much in training camp."
 
The July 9th co-feature will be a ten-round bout in the junior featherweight division between Carlos Castro (25-0, 10 KOs) and Cesar Juarez (25-8, 19 KOs). Castro, from Phoenix, Arizona, is 5-0 since signing a co-promotional deal with Top Rank, with a classic boxer-puncher style. He dominated Genesis Servania over ten rounds in February 2019 and is coming off a tight majority decision verdict over Jesus Ruiz.
 
Juarez is synonymous with toe-to-toe battles and is perhaps best known for his 2015 Fight of the Year contender against Nonito Donaire, which he lost by unanimous decision. Juarez is 8-4 since the Donaire fight, including a knockout win over Albert Pagara (26-0 at the time).
 
Undercard
 
Heavyweight Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson (4-0, 4 KOs), who notched a KO win inside “The Bubble” on June 9th, will return in a six-rounder against an opponent to be named...
 
Philadelphia middleweight Fred Wilson Jr. (6-0-2, 2 KOs), who is coming off a pair of draws, will fight Ashton Sykes (5-3, 1 KO) in a six-rounder...
 
In an eight-round cruiserweight tilt, the unbeaten Robin Sirwan Safar (10-0, 7 KOs) will fight DeShon Webster (12-3-2, 6 KOs). Safar has won his last three by first-round knockout...
 
Puerto Rico-born junior lightweight prospect Joshafat Ortiz (7-0, 4 KOs) will collide with fellow unbeaten Joshua Orta (6-0, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder...
 
In a four-rounder at welterweight, Peter Cortez (2-1, 1 KO) will take on an opponent to be named.