Boxing: Takam cancels sparring session due to 'spying'

Carlos Takam cancelled his sparring session last night because he feared he was being spied on by a member of Joseph Parker's team.

Television celebrity and boxer Monty Betham last night tweeted about the incident, with Takam, who will fight Parker in an IBF world title eliminator, clearly nervous about revealing his tactics for next Saturday's fight in Manukau.

Takam's promoter, Christian Cherchi, confirmed the incident to Fairfax.

"Somebody in the gym must have spoke with someone in the Parker camp and said he was training there," Cherchi said. "Somebody went outside and he left very soon.

"I think they want to unsettle us but it was not a big problem for Carlos. He laughed about it. He's relaxed. I think they are more nervous about this fight."

Given Takam is sparring against Kiwi fighters, and the fact that the professional boxing game is relatively small in Auckland, compared to say, Las Vegas, there is little chance of him retaining all of his secrets leading up to the fight.

His move to cancel the session is an indication of the importance of the fight for him. As a 35-year-old and a professional for 12 years, the Parker fight is one of his last shots at the big time.