Adam Azim sets up clash with Dalton Smith after Ohara Davies knockout
Rising star, Adam Azim put on a mature and classy display as he dispatched of his opponent in round 8. A big left hook sent Ohara Davies to the canvas for the second time of the night with the referee stepping in and calling off the contest.
Questions will now be asked on whether he should step into the ring with Dalton Smith – another up-and-coming British talent in the super-lightweight division.
Adam Azim makes easy work of Davies
‘The Assassin’ Adam Azim made his walk to the ring full of confidence despite being out of action for eight months and it was quickly made clear that he was ready to make a statement.
Across the ring was his toughest opponent to date, Ohara ‘Two Tanks’ Davies, a 32-year-old super-lightweight who had previously fought at world level. Although Davies never managed to capture a world title, he is still highly respected and regarded, especially in the UK.
Unfortunately for Davies, his performance wasn’t enough and due to him previously revealing that his heart wasn’t in boxing anymore, announced his retirement shortly after the fight.
Adam Azim started the fight quick, popping off lightening quick jabs to the head of Davies and keeping his distance, using his reach to his advantage.
In the early rounds, Davies was only really able to land his own shots after countering what Azim was throwing as it would allow him to close the distance. He also used a one-two combination for the same reason, to push forward.
In round 5, the 22-year-old dropped his opponent with a big shot to the body. During the referee’s count, he was quickly reminded by Shane McGuigan in his corner and Ben Shalom sat at ringside to stay composed as he seemingly believed that his shot would force the end of the contest.
Both fighters recovered from the knockdown well, Azim calmed himself and began to pick his shots again and Davies looked to be throwing some good shots back, occasionally catching Azim.
Adam’s constant pressure looked to take a toll on Davies however, as the older fighter looked to slow down, inviting the shot that put him down for the second and final time in his career.
What’s next for Adam Azim?
Following this victory, Adam Azim remains undefeated and moves to 12-0, setting up some potential big clashes in 2025.
One of them clashes could well be against his British rival, Dalton Smith, who has recently confronted Azim’s promotor, Ben Shalom of BOXXER, claiming that they pulled out of the fight and wanted to know if that bout will happen next.
Dalton Smith, who is also undefeated as a professional is a former British & Commonwealth champion who is now WBC Silver super-lightweight champion after an impressive performance saw him beat Jose Zepeda by knockout in March.
Azim vs Smith is a fight that has been brewing for a while but claims that it could hinder either fighters’ development has caused it to be put on hold. The fact is this fight could still be made bigger in the future if the pair were to win their own respective titles before going head-to-head. But of course, the danger is that a loss for either man could change that path completely. So, should the fight be made next? Both fighters clearly seem up for it.
Azim said after the fight in his post-fight press conference that he would like that contest to headline a show and not be part of an undercard which could rule out the possibility of it taking place on a Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia, much like the British title contest between heavyweights Fabio Wardley & Frazer Clarke.
There are concerns among the British boxing fanbase that high level domestic fights will not be accessible to the British fans as more and more fights are being scheduled for Saudi funded cards. For this reason, it would be big for boxing in the UK if a fight like Adam Azim vs Dalton Smith could take place in a venue in the fighters’ home country.
Regardless on if Azim meets Smith in the ring next or further down the line, it’s clear that ‘The Assassin’ is on a collision course and will look to keep his unbeaten record this time next year.