Azeem: I’ll take title in James’ backyard
Hamza Azeem….chance for first belt. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB
HAMZA Azeem, only weeks away from his biggest test, wiped the sweat gathered from another gruelling training session and warned: “This is all about heart and belief, nothing else.”
On July 17, on a BCB show titled “Friday Night Heat”, the Kings Heath southpaw bids to become Commonwealth international light-middleweight champ.
And Azeem, yet to go beyond six rounds let alone 10, will start a prohibitive underdog. In the opposite corner will be Eithan James, former WBO European king at welter and English and Commonwealth title challenger.
Northampton’s James has had close to twice as many fights, been the championship distance and the bout takes place at the Mecure Hotel in his hometown.
Make no mistake, for Azeem, by day a prison custody officer, the cuffs are off. He’s positively straining at the leash as the big one beckons. What’s more, 26-year-old Hamza is confident of coming home with the belt.
“He can bring the smoke, I can control that,” he said. “I’m going to the top, I’m giving it 110 – that’s all a man can do – and I believe I’ll be victorious.
Hamza is among the Midlands most improved boxers. He looked sluggish and carried surplus pounds in early fights, then, under trainer Dave Clarke, dramatically turned a corner.
Last year, he entered the WBC Grand Prix, a Riyadh based tournament involving some of the world’s best prospects, at very short distance. Azeem took thunderous punching Australian Dylan Biggs the full six round distance: Biggs went on to win the middleweight competition.
That’s the only blemish on Hamza’s 10 bout CV.
“When I fought him he was 13-1 with nine knockouts,” Azeem said. “I know I have a chin on me. If I catch Eithan James on the right spot, he’s going over.
“I’m not bothered about being in his backyard, I fought in Saudi. I don’t care about being the underdog, this is the fight that will take me to the top. What let me down against Biggs was not training for the fight because I didn’t have time to train for the fight.”
James has had to bounce back from setbacks. With the English and European titles on the line, Worcester’s Owen Cooper subjected Eithan to a painful night. He dropped the unbeaten boxer in the first, forced him to retire at the end of the ninth.
In a bout for the vacant Commonwealth title, James was KOd in seven by current British champ Constantin Ursu.
Since then, he’s moved up in weight, peeled off three victories and claimed the IBO Continental light-middleweight belt.
The IBO win in March was an impressive distance performance. Opponent Dom Hunt had lost only one of 20 going into the contest.
“My boxing is better than Owen Cooper’s, I think,” Azeem said. “I don’t think James can handle my boxing, I don’t think he can deal with that style. This is a fight I need to bring the best out of me. It’s a must win for me and I will be victorious. I’m on weight already, I’m training hard for a 10 rounder, it’s mind and belief and heart.
“I’m ready. My training has been hard, I feel good. I just want to do the business and become the next champ. I’m going to go into his backyard and take the title.
“The only thing he’s got more of than me is experience, but I’m training hard – the distance won’t be a problem for me. My attitude is to get him out of there as soon as possible. I fought in the amateurs at 80kg (12st 8lbs), I’ve fought big people. I’m ready to go, a five-and-a-half to six week camp is good enough for me. I’m doing 12-13 rounds on the pads.”
*The undercard features the return of Nico Michael following his Midlands super-flyweight title defeat, as well as former English light-heavyweight title challenger Michael Stephenson. Unbeaten duo Callum Latimer and Guillaume Azagier are both in action, alongside the big-hitting Connor Parker, who completes the lineup.