Hamza on track for fifth straight victory
Hamza Azeem…at Birmingham’s H Suite on February 16
HAMZA Azeem will be looking to make it a fantastic five straight wins on BCB Promotions “February Firepower” show at Birmingham’s H Suite on February 16.
The Kings Heath 24-year-old has gone the distance in each of his contests but did score a knockdown in his last bout against the vastly experienced Liam Griffiths. That win was preceded by victories over Paul Cummings, who he has boxed twice, and a shut-out over M J Hall.
Entering his third year in the paid ranks, the full-time prison officer has been open about his need to learn his trade after a fairly brief amateur career.
Working closely with coach Dave Clarke, the tricky southpaw has been honing his skills and working on his overall fitness, adding track running to his training camp.
“My training has really stepped up for this one,” Hamza said. “My coach has told me that the focus needs to be on improving my fitness. Nutrition and my diet is improving every fight, but the biggest change has been adding track running to my camp. I’ll be honest, those sessions are hard. We have been blasting them out, knowing they will get me fit.
“I am still working on my boxing, of course, and I am learning on the job in the pro game. Although I am with the same coach, it is very different to the amateurs. Getting my weight down steadily with each fight has been a focus. I will be at 72kg for this one, and I could go down to 70kg in the future.
“Griffiths was a different kind of test to the three previous fights. He held a lot, constantly through the four rounds. I did drop him in the fourth, but it wasn’t a clean shot that I could be satisfied with - it more caught him under the armpit. They are all learning fights at this stage and we have worked on how to handle someone who grabs constantly, so I will be prepared if I face that style again.
“I’m aiming for a belt this year. I want to go for it, but it has to be managed properly and I need to take my time. A Midlands title is the first target and, hopefully, God willing, I will go on and keep progressing. On the 16th, I know I will have trained hard and want to let my hands go and put in a big performance.
*Tickets are available now priced £40 standard and £75 VIP from the boxers directly or by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com.