Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/888285
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER 2017 Sport 23 BOXING Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Wednesday WEATHER: Partly cloudy VISIBILITY: Good WIND: Variable force 2 to 3 mainly Westerly backing Southwesterly SEA: Slight Swell: Negligible A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 White to play and mate in four moves A B C D E F G H 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Last week's solution Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box. WINDY 24 º C /17 º C UV INDEX: 6 Today's Weather Chess Sudoku Pursuits Across 1. Easy to reach 8. Metal spikes 9. Join 10. Assist 12. Resembling glass 14. Sweet baked food made of dough 17. Melt 21. Friendly 22. Watery fruit 23. Depression from lack of company Down 2. Penetrating cold 3. Not difficult 4. Cranium 5. Utter joy 6. Foe 7. Unit of length 11. Domesticated animal 13. Toward the stern 14. Student 15. Mull village 16. Pertaining to a sovereign 18. Small mountains 19. Stream of air 20. So be it Qxe7+ Kg6 (Kg8) Nf4# .... Kg8 Qe8# (b8=RorQ#, c8=RorQ#) Anthony Joshua to fight Carlos Takam on October 28 CARLOS Takam has replaced Kubrat Pulev as the challenger to world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on October 28 after a shoulder injury forced the Bulgarian to withdraw. Pulev had been the mandatory challenger to the IBF and WBA champion but misses out on his second world-titlle fight after hurting his shoulder while sparring. Frenchman Takam, 36, will replace him with less than a fort- night's notice, meaning Pulev faces a lengthy wait to fight Joshua after also losing his status as mandatory challenger with the IBF. Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom said via a state- ment: "I received a call from (Pulev's promoter) Kalle Sauerland late (on Monday) afternoon to inform me that Pulev had injured his shoulder and was maybe ruled out of the fight. "This was later confirmed by his doctor. IBF rules state that the mandatory will go to the next fighter in line which is Carlos Takam. "When the Pulev fight was announced I made a deal with Takam's team to begin camp and be on stand-by for this fight. When I called them this evening they were overjoyed and good to go. "It's a difficult position for 'AJ' having prepared meticulously for the style and height of Pulev, he now faces a completely different style and challenge in Takam. This hasn't happened in his career before but he is ready for all comers on October 28." It was reported in Bulgaria that Pulev, also 36, could yet challenge Joshua in November or December, but Matchroom have already sold more than 70,000 tickets and anticipate a near-80,000 crowd to attend the fight at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. The venue is also committed to hosting the Wales rugby union team's autumn internationals on consecutive Saturdays from November 11 to De- cember 2. Takam, born in Cameroon and considered a less challenging op- ponent for Joshua having previously lost to WBO champion Joseph Parker, Russia's Alexander Povetkin and the little-known Gregory Tony, is shorter yet rangier than Pulev.