ADAM AZIM efficiently navigates by the ultimate spar of this newest coaching camp after which sits down to focus on life as British boxing’s newest wonderkid.
But there is a startling lack of bravado from the 20-year-old hailed as the way forward for the game in this nation by the likes of Amir Khan, and he would know.
Instead Azim preaches concerning the significance of arduous work and divulges an obsession with boxing that is bordering on problematic. “I watch boxing videos from morning until night,” he says, nonetheless wiping the sweat from his face. “I couldn’t even let you know what number of hours I spend. I don’t actually do anything.
“Honestly. Every day. Everywhere I go I’m watching highlights and clips. Everywhere I go. I think it is to do with my ADHD.”
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder crops up quite a lot of instances throughout this interview and Azim believes it is on the coronary heart of his success as a boxer. “It has played a big part for me,” he provides. “I can use it in any completely different manner however boxing is how I take advantage of it, I really like it an excessive amount of.
“I’ve been doing it for 16 years already. My ADHD is like a superpower. It’s a thing I can switch on and control in the ring. I don’t need medication, my medication is my boxing. That’s where I drag my ADHD in and use it for good, both mentally and physically.”
What it has created up to now, Azim believes, is a Frankenstein’s monster of attributes gleaned from his hours on YouTube. “I’m watching quite a few fighters; Naseem Hamed, Canelo, Floyd Mayweather, Joan Guzman.
“I believe I like a selected sort of fighter and in some ways I’m a mix of them. Then additionally Gervonta Davis’ energy, Shane Mosley for combos, Khan for velocity. There are so some ways you may acknowledge these guys’ attributes and take a look at to apply them in the ring.
“I’ll watch it, see it, think about it and then try and do it when I’m in the gym or in a fight. It works.”
His document suggests thus. After 26 months as a professional, Azim is 7-0 with all however his debut ending inside the gap. That was again in December 2020 and, after preventing simply as soon as in 2021, he actually received the ball rolling in fashion throughout 2022.
As a key part of Boxxer and Sky’s burgeoning relationship, the Slough man racked up 5 successive victories throughout the yr, all of them stay on the channel, all of them punctuated by spotlight reel knockouts. The final of these got here towards Rylan Charlton, who was introduced in as someone who would prolong Azim considerably as he headlined Alexandra Palace on November 27. He lasted precisely three minutes and 42 seconds.
“The year went incredible,” Azim says. “It couldn’t have gone any higher. I received the harmful knockouts I wished, lots of people received to see me battle and I had my first headline present. I fought Rylan Charlton and received the efficiency I wished.
“Everything in the year went very smoothly and I really enjoyed it. Now I want to start this year with a bang and continue my journey like that.”
Adam Azim assaults Rylan Charlton (Lawrence Lustig)
On Saturday Azim will make one other ahead step on that journey in the type of a headline slot at Wembley Arena on a Sky Sports Saturday battle evening for the primary time. There are solely a handful of different British boxers over the past 30 years who acquired related therapy at 7-0.
And, in fact, British boxing is crying out for extra bonafide stars. We are nearing the tip of the Anthony Joshua/Tyson Fury period and with the retirement of the likes of Khan and Kell Brook nonetheless fairly recent, there are few real torch bearers ready in the wings. Azim, nevertheless, is a kind of.
“This is why I want to continue to headline,” he provides. “It is about rising and rising. It takes time however I’m prepared to put the work in. I’m mentally robust sufficient for the stress that comes with it.
“I need to construct my profession rather well. It’s the identical as Amir Khan who used to headline each present and pack them out each single time. I need to construct my fanbase and get it greater.
“I need to perform all the time. I want to get these devastating knockouts and keep improving. I’m happy with the way it’s going. I think the bigger the stage, the better I’ll be. I want to show the people why I belong on a platform like this and I want kids to be inspired by me like I was inspired by Amir.”
Khan was near-ever current at ringside for Azim’s fights final yr and the pair seem to have developed a real bond. There are apparent parallels between the 2 as British-Pakistani boxers who illuminated the amateurs earlier than producing fanfare in the paid code as youngsters.
And whereas Azim will obtain recommendation from many inside boxing, Khan is the one who is aware of precisely what the teen might be going by today.
“We always stay in touch,” he nods. “He is like an enormous brother to me and we’ve grown very shut. I believe he’s coming to this battle and we’re going to meet up and simply chat about regular stuff, it’s like a household factor actually.
“We converse lots however the factor that sticks with me most is how he is all the time telling me to keep grounded. The largest bit of recommendation actually is simply to be humble. Khan actually is. And it is not one thing you may pretend both. You both are otherwise you aren’t.
“Actually I get similar advice from Barry McGuigan who is another legend who had to deal with the stage where he is building up towards becoming a world champion and then he became a global superstar. He knows what is going on so it is great to have him around.”
Barry’s son Shane, Azim’s coach, in the meantime, has been mentoring his younger cost to guarantee he stays grounded too. The presence of his large brother, Hassan, and one other couple of figures from his childhood are additionally key to that.
“I’ve known Caroline and Daniel Dubois since I was about eight,” he says of the brother and sister duo who additionally do their coaching with McGuigan.
“Actually I used to spar Caroline lots once we had been youngsters and I used to wrestle. She’s wonderful and can grow to be a multi weight world champion.
“I’ve heard the tales that she had to faux to be a boy known as Colin however she was all the time Caroline then. I believe I used to be eight once I first sparred her, we had been in all probability sparring till I used to be about 11. That was down at Dale Youth. She had expertise from a younger age and all the time had that fashion. I’m a bit too large for her now however I’ll always remember these spars we had.
“Believe it or not, I never sparred Daniel. He was too big for me then as well. It’s good to be climbing the ladder together. They’ve always been friends to me and now it’s like family. We all are in this gym.
“Having Hassan here is important too. He’s my big brother and he keeps an eye on me, while I keep an eye on him too. We are both pushing each other all the time.”
Not that it looks like he wants any extra motivation as he continues his climb in direction of titles, with related haste to that proven in 2022. Only 11 weeks have handed since he scythed down Charlton in such emphatic fashion at Alexandra Palace – and a few of these had been spent laid low.
“I got a one or two week break but I actually got ill during that period of time, over Christmas,” Azim says. “I used to be correctly out of motion for every week or so, however it really turned out effectively to get unwell then so I’m now absolutely match and recent to get again into the ring. I received the identical flu that everybody else appeared to get however I’ve had a very good seven-week camp and I’m prepared.
“The secret for me is simply coaching arduous. I prepare so arduous, I’m all the time centered and all the time in the gymnasium. I’m all the time indignant, it’s my ADHD. I benefit from the gymnasium, I really like the gymnasium and dealing arduous. If I’m going to a spar and I don’t go away drained I’m not working arduous sufficient.
“The fights are coming around quickly now so I want to stay in tip-top shape, eat healthy food. After this fight I’m going to go organic, I want to keep my body in top tip shape just like Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s 37, look at the shape he’s in. I’m looking for longevity in this game and that’s the only way.”
The man in his manner this weekend is Santos Reyes, the 12-0 Nicaraguan, who represents the primary undefeated opponent of Azim’s profession. He arrives as a 14/1 outsider and can go away 12-1, save one of many largest shocks in a British ring in Azim’s lifetime.
“I think a lot of people want to see me go rounds because they want to see how I am as the fight goes later,” Azim provides. “But I by no means go searching for the knockout, they simply come. I place the pictures appropriately so I find yourself getting the knockout I need. But I’m even higher once I go rounds.
“He’s a durable fighter, very tough, I’ve seen him in a couple of videos on YouTube. I won’t underestimate him but I want to get a superb knockout and put on a show. I don’t feel the pressure because I don’t go looking for the knockout but I believe it will come.”
With that, Azim is nearly completed with one among his remaining media obligations earlier than battle week begins in earnest. Despite being solely 20, he has already devoted the most effective a part of 16 years of his life to boxing. There is time to ask why.
“I have thought about this one a lot,” he says. “I believe it is as a result of I need individuals to be impressed by me.
“Quite a lot of younger individuals have many issues today, even out on the streets there is numerous knife crime – in locations like my residence city of Slough and London. There are numerous stabbings occurring.
“But I need to construct boxing gyms across the UK and get these youngsters off the road, I can present them there is one other pathway for them. There are alternatives for you to do one thing together with your life that advantages you.
“And the only way I know I can show them that is by boxing.”
Adam Azim and Shane McGuigan (Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer)
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