Hamza Azeem is a real jailhouse rocky

Hamza Azeem…custody officer by day, unbeaten middle by night

A WARNING to prisoners being transferred from custody to their appointment at Birmingham Crown Court.

The man accompanying them on their “meat wagon” journey may be new pro Hamza Azeem.

By day, the 23-year-old is a custody officer, moving prisoners from jail to jail or to their court appointments.

By night, he’s a boxer gradually building momentum. Hamza, a southpaw melting his long frame to the middleweight division, has won both his professional bouts on points over the four round apprentice distance.

He looks for the hat-trick on BCB’s September 2 Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, show.

Of his role in the prison service, Hamza, from Kings Heath, Birmingham, said: “It helps with my boxing, every prisoner has a different energy. It helps my boxing, my mentality, my people skills.

“I’ve only had one guy try to hit me. I moved quickly and took him to the ground.”

Hamza turned over after a fairly  limited amateur career, winning 13 of 15 and reaching the semi-finals of the East Midlands Box Cup. That was pretty much the highlight.

“I was 14 and a chubby, fat lad when I started,” he explained. “I was with Birmingham City at the start and learned the fundamentals there, the first steps.”

His unpaid career kick-started at Studio ABC and old coach Dave Clarke now acts as pro trainer.

“I wanted to go to the pros,” said Hamza. “I felt I could do better with the pros, I feel more comfortable. If you’re good enough in the pros, you’ll get somewhere, but in the amateurs it’s a long process to reach the top.

“I’m bringing amateur talent to the pro game and I’m pretty awkward. I’m an awkward southpaw, man. The sky is the limit – I believe in myself and my team. I’ll go as far as God wants to take me. The power will be there once I’ve gone through the gears and the confidence comes in.”

I watched Hamza notch-up his second professional win at Wolverhampton’s Hangar venue in April. He took every round against busy journeyman MJ Hall, but appeared to have excess pounds to shift. He showed crisp combinations.

Hamza said: “My first fight, I started too fast and hadn’t enough energy. The second fight, I corrected that – I was fit enough and took my time.

“I’ll have a six rounder by the end of the year, then I want to fight for the Midlands title.”

Hamza is very much a work in progress. He appears to be improving with each contest, yet stiffer test await.

He’s confident that, by this time next year, the handcuffs will be off and he’ll be taking real risks in the ring.

They’ll remain on for his day job, however.