Hamza has skill, now for the ring sacrifices

Hamza Azeem…made it a hat-trick of wins at Eastside Rooms

FLEDGLING po Hamza Azeem is continuing to show steady improvement in the pro ranks.

That was illustrated at the Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, last night (Saturday) when the southpaw comprehensively outpointed gangly, vastly experienced Paul Cummings for his third straight win.

Cummings gave the Kings Heath 23-year-old an argument in his debut 12 months ago, even taking a round. This time, it was one-way traffic.

Southpaw Azeem prowled, landed with spiteful uppercuts and had his opponent clinging on like a barnacle to a ship’s bow. He won every round, 40-36 on referee Chris Dean’s card.

Hamza, a prison officer by day, has the talent, now he needs to show this writer he has the application.

He weighed 11st 9lbs for the Cummings fight and looked fleshy around the midriff. That’s lighter than previous outings, but I believe the man’s title future lies at light-middle (11 stone).

I think he’s a very good boxer, a gifted boxer. He now needs to show he has the passion and commitment to go through the grind of shedding weight.

Hamza’s highly respected trainer Dave Clarke knows it. He told me: “He’s got to come down. He’s a work in progress and we’ve only scratched the surface of what he’s capable of doing. The public has seen a tiny amount.”

That tiny amount was too much for 37-year-old Cummings, from Wiltshire, who was taking part in his 80th fight.

He shipped some solid left hands from the southpaw stance and by the third was in full survival mode.

Cummings rallied a little in the last, but the quality came from Hamza.

On reflection, it was possibly the Birmingham fighter’s best performance to date.

He has shown ability. It’s time to show the hunger that makes champions.