The stars came out to watch Anthony Joshua retain his world heavyweight title with a bruising victory over the brave Carlos Takam.
Hollywood A-listers Colin Farrell and Idris Elba were in the crowd at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to see Joshua win with a 10th-round technical knockout to keep his hands on the IBF belt.
In his first fight since ending the career of the great and once-dominant Wladimir Klitschko, 28-year-old Joshua required his advantages in size, speed and power to gradually wear down his previously little-known opponent from France.
Bigger fights against superior opponents are expected to follow in 2018 – but in defeating his mandatory challenger and excluding that with Klitschko, the Briton unexpectedly faced the toughest match-up of his career.
As well as Farrell and Elba, Joshua had fellow sports stars cheering him on.
Manchester United footballers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rojo were in Cardiff, with Ibrahimovic sharing a joke with the champion before the fight started.
It was a tough night for Joshua, and Takam was still ducking, weaving and throwing back the occasional punch when referee Phil Edwards called a halt.
It was the 20th straight knock-out for the British star and another victory hammered out on a night of blood and thrills. He is still the heavyweight champion of the world but few predicted it would be this challenging.
His gallant challenger threw down the gauntlet again by demanding a rematch and Joshua’s army cheered as lustily for him as for the man they had turned out in such numbers as to smash the attendance record for this hallowed Welsh ground.
Joshua told them: ‘For all of you who wanted to see him unconscious on the floor, it was unfortunate that the referee stopped the fight. But that wasn’t my decision. I did my job and it was a good fight.’
Takam was fighting at 12 days’ notice – as an injury replacement for Kubrat Pulev – and lived up to his reputation as a tough opponent, absorbing big shots by Joshua and making himself tough to hit with his movement.
Takam took an eight count in the fourth round after toppling from a left hook by Joshua, and fought on with a cut above his right eye that twice required treatment.
Joshua was taken beyond seven rounds for only the second time in his pro career. The other time was the 11-round fight against Wladimir Klitschko in April.
Takam (35-4-1) was cheered by the crowd after the fight at Principality Stadium, Wales’ national sports arena.
Joshua was fighting at the heaviest weight of his professional career – 254.8 pounds (115.6 kilograms) – and predicted a grueling slog against an experienced opponent that gets in close and works the body.
Takam caught Joshua with some shots, but they didn’t have enough power to hurt the champion.
Still, Joshua looked frustrated at times, and even showboated in the seventh round by walking into Takam’s range with his arms out and head down, then shaking his head as Takam threw a punch.
Joshua looked in need of the breather when Mr Edwards led him his corner for a glove tie to be trimmed.
When they re-joined, he turned his attention to Takam’s body and enjoyed enough success in the eighth to put another round in his account.
Takam’s cut eye required further examination before they could start the ninth.
Again he was waved back into the bloodied action.
This one was a stand-off – until Takam went for it with some big left and right hooks. A massive late left from Joshua was not enough to give him the round in my book.
Takam was now with cut over both eyes.
As he had against Klitschko, Joshua roused himself for an all or nothing effort.
But when referee Edwards called a halt not only Takam complained the stoppage was too early.
There were boos of disappointment about the premature ending among the cheers for another Joshua KO victory.