Anthony Joshua will take to the ring once again this Saturday, as he will step between the ropes to face Carlos Takam for the IBF world heavyweight championship in Cardiff.

The 28-year-old was originally scheduled for a mandatory defence of his belt against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev.

The number one contender, however, pulled out of the bout two weeks ago due to a shoulder injury, meaning Takam, who was on standby, had to be drafted in as his replacement.

Despite possessing similar resumes, Pulev is ranked above Takam in the IBF rankings, so many fans will see the change of challenger as an easier fight for ‘AJ’, but whilst the champion has been preparing to do battle with a six foot five Eastern European, he will encounter a much smaller six foot one Frenchman instead.

Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing mogul Eddie Hearn, has revealed what the champion said when he told him that Takam would be his replacement opponent, and it was a response of calmness and swagger that you would expect.

Hearn said: “I made the call to AJ and told him about the opponent change - 'No problem - that's a fun fight,' he said. He's just a calm guy. Amazing really.”

Having already defeated Wladimir Klitschko this year, Joshua will certainly be looking to bigger fights following the bout with Takam in Cardiff, providing he gets past the 36-year-old.

A potential clash between ‘AJ’ and former world champion Tyson Fury has been mooted for some time, but until Fury re-obtains a boxing license, that fight looks unlikely to happen anytime soon.

The two other world champions in the heavyweight division could make interesting match-ups in the future.

WBO champion Joseph Parker recently got past Britian’s own Hughie Fury on a points decision, whilst WBC king Deontay Wilder is looking to push his record to 39-0 on November 4, when he defends his gold against Bermane Stiverne.