Anthony Joshua’s substitute opponent will be unknown to almost all the 80,000 crowd in Cardiff on October 28, but as far as the world heavyweight champion is concerned, this defence is against his stalker.

Carlos Takam has come out of le Afro-French bleu to replace the injured Kubrat Pulev, but Joshua remembers being tracked down by him in a hotel near London’s 02 Arena more than a year ago.

AJ had just knocked out Dominic Breazeale last June in the first defence of his world titles when: ‘This big unit came of the shadows in the hotel lobby. It was Takam. He walked up to me up to me and said ‘’I want to fight you.’’ I told him I’d just had a fight.’

Anthony Joshua seemed unfazed by his change of opponent ahead of his October 28 clash

Joshua was meant to face Kubrat Pulev for his IBF heavyweight title but the Bulgarian is injured

The current world champion will therefore face little known Carlos Takam in Cardiff

When the Cardiff fight was being agreed, Takam volunteered to go into training for seven weeks, just in case Pulev pulled out – as he has now done with a torn pectoral muscle.

‘Honestly,’ says Joshua, ‘this is a more dangerous fight than Pulev would have been. Takam weighs 22 stones. He’s a better all round fighter and I’ e been preparing to box someone totally different.

‘Takam is incredibly durable and will be harder to knock out, but when Pulev got hurt the other day there were only two answers to the situation. We could cancel the show, which would have been a disaster for everyone. Or we carry on.’

With 78,000 tickets already sold and Sky Sports Box Office open for pay-per-view subscriptions the money was a factor, but more important to Joshua is fulfilling his obligatory defence of his IBF world title.

Rather than be stripped of that belt if he took an alternative opponent he gives thanks to promoter Eddie Hearn ‘for having Takam on stand-by.’

The British boxer took part in his open workout on Tuesday ahead of his Cardiff showdown

Watford-born fighter once again gave the media an insight into his training regime at his gym

Joshua, pictured skipping, may have to alter his training following the change of opponent

Takam was one place below Pulev in the IBF rankings and now takes his place as the mandatory challenger.

‘This becomes part of the process for me,’ says Joshua. ‘The first word I received was that the fight was off but almost at once Eddie was on the phone telling me he had Takam in waiting.

‘It will be a different fight from the one I was expecting and I cannot afford not to take it seriously. I carry on preparing as hard as always. I’m not saying he’s going to beat me. But I am saying Takam won’t come in and lie down in the first round.

‘He’s fought some top heavyweights. Two of his only three defeats came against Parker and Povetkin. He’s only been stopped once, by Povetkin in the tenth round of an absolute war in Moscow.

‘People may not know him because he doesn’t have loads of twitter followers. But this is his golden ticket. His chance to shock the world.’

Takam will be no pushover but Joshua is clear favourite for a 20th straight professional win