Adam Azim is “not far off” the likes of boxing superstars Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Ryan Garcia, according to his trainer Shane McGuigan.
The 22-year-old Brit is set to continue his charge towards the top of the sport when he takes on former world champion Sergey Lipinets in London on Saturday.
Azim has won all 12 of his professional contests to date, with his ninth knockout win – last time out against Ohara Davies in October – suggesting there is plenty more to come.
Highlights from the super-lightweight showdown between Adam Azim and Ohara Davies
McGuigan told Sky Sports: “As we saw with the fight with O’Hara, it was all the stuff that we’ve been working on in the gym for years and years that just came to light.
“Now that he has the confidence to be able to push people back, work in close with eight-ounce gloves on, against a puncher like O’Hara – that was always the danger with O’Hara, he’s technically limited but he also had that power. But Adam looked so comfortable in there. Never once was he phased.
“And now we’ve got another guy that carries decent power, been a former world champion, only been beaten by the top fighters in the division. It’s a huge step up for him, but it’s also the start of a massive 2025. I think if he gets a stoppage victory then it really puts him on the map.
A new ringside angle has emerged of Adam Azim landing a huge body shot to down Ohara Davies in their bout in October
“It’s a stacked division at 140. You’ve got Tank Davis, you’ve got Ryan Garcia, plenty of massive names and I think he’s not far off them.”
Davis, the WBA lightweight world champion, is one of boxing’s pound-for-pound stars having amassed a 30-0 record with 28 knockouts, including stopping Garcia in 2023.
‘Azim will be one of Britain’s best ever fighters’
McGuigan has coached several world champions, including the likes of David Haye, George Groves, Carl Frampton and Josh Taylor, but insists Azim has the potential to be one of Britain’s all-time greats.
“I am more convinced now than ever that Adam Azim is going to be a superstar, that he’s going to be one of the best fighters that we’ve ever had, genuinely,” McGuigan said.
“What I’m seeing in the gym is frightening. I’ve seen fighters come through, Josh Taylor, other world champions, two-weight world champions and I’ve never seen what I’m seeing in the gym – this kid’s so special.
Adam Azim says Sergey Lipinets has never faced someone like him before and vows to retire his Kazakhstan opponent on February 1
“He hasn’t quite showcased that, he hasn’t had the opponents to showcase what he’s capable of, but the further we get up that ladder, the more it’s going to show.
“You get a lot of fighters that look great when they’re at that low level and they get that time and space, they look sensational, but then when somebody closes the gap and starts making it a dog fight, they fold.
“He’s the opposite, he thrives on that and he’s going to look sensational in the next fight, but also in the next 12 months.”
Watch Adam Azim vs Sergey Lipinets on Saturday February 1 live on Sky Sports. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
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