"The Conquest", episode 10. Tony Yoka, the Olympic heavyweight champion, faces, this Friday behind closed doors in the H Arena in Nantes (and live on Canal + from 9 pm), the Belgian Joël Tambwe Djeko .
There is a (small) stake in this evening: the belt of the European Union of heavyweights.
It would mean for the French a first professional catch.
13th in the world, Yoka should normally get rid of the Belgian.
Aged 31, he is ranked 58th worldwide for the benchmark site BoxRec.
He has a record of 17 successes for 1 draw and 2 losses.
At the end of the weigh-in on Thursday, the two men have already exchanged a few invective and Yoka even received a slap from his opponent.
IT'S GOING TO BE SHOW 🔥
See you this Friday evening at 10:15 p.m. live on @canalplus 🥊👊💥
▶ ️ https://t.co/L4zkzmVGk7#YokaDjeko #LaConquete pic.twitter.com/v17rikxFn3
- CANAL + Boxe (@CanalplusBoxe) March 4, 2021
Despite the pandemic, were you able to prepare for this fight under good conditions?
TONY YOKA.
Yes, I was able to go to the United States with my trainer unlike previous preparations upset by confinement.
I was able to prepare in good conditions and I am ready.
When you look at your first nine fights, what do you say to yourself?
I see well-ranked, renowned opponents.
After nine fights, I am already world number 13 and this Friday, I am fighting for a belt.
It is a first step.
I had given myself 15 fights to be world champion and I'm on the right track.
How do you stack up against Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua?
In terms of classification and fights, I am still far away but at the same time, I am not.
I am number 13 in the world.
If I have a good year, that I follow up the fights and that I enter the Top 10 by September, I will be on a royal road for a World Championship in 2022.
Where have you made the most progress since you started?
I have made a lot of progress in all areas.
I have become much more powerful than before by maintaining my speed.
My boxing has become more professional and I try to be as complete as possible to face heavy, fast, tall or smaller boxers.
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Your opponent says he wants you back.
How are you going to counter it?
Every fight and every opponent is different.
I will not reveal to you here the strategy that we are going to put in place.
We will try to have a good fight with a great victory as a result.
What exactly can you promise the viewers who will watch this fight?
It's going to be a great night of boxing with a great fight.
🗨️ "The one I want to box is Wilder. But for the record, Joshua would be beautiful"
Before #YokaDjeko, @TonyYoka answered questions from @canalplus subscribers about his preparation, his inspirations and his
ITW
title ambitions
in full: ▶ ️ https://t.co/CVAclMkGeh pic.twitter.com/WVMfA6Vjdv
- CANAL + Boxe (@CanalplusBoxe) March 3, 2021
How important to you is the European Union belt brought into play this Friday evening?
It's a step in my career and a big step.
You have to pass it.
This is the first belt in the pros that I can take and it is not a minor.
So yes, it is important.
What did you see in Djeko's eyes at the weigh-in?
The look of a boxer, a professional who came to do his job and a showman who came to entertain the gallery.
I think this is his moment of glory.
But the truth, she will be in the ring this Friday night.
It is ranked lower than your previous opponents: how will it give you strong opposition?
I never said this fight would be harder than the previous ones.
This fight can make me progress in the standings with a belt and you have to pass this step, that's all.
You have already warmed up with Djeko: what happened?
Nothing, nothing happened at all.