Adam Azim vs Dalton Smith: DOMESTIC FANTASY FIGHTS

Azim Proves He Can Go The Rounds

Adam Azim is renowned for his reputation as an all-action fighter who gets his opponents out in a whirlwind finish. He looked set to embellish that reputation when he dropped his last opponent, Santos Reyes in the second round.

However, he fractured his scaphoid in the process of knocking Reyes to the canvas and showed he can adapt to go the rounds, boxing his way to a points win.

A mouth-watering future clash with British champion, Dalton Smith presents an adept adversary, who has the punch resistance to weather the storm of Azim’s articulated aggression.

So, those 10 rounds for Azim, while not part of the plan, will fare him well in his preparation for the championship distance down the line and a collision with Smith.

Especially given Boxxer had a well-known reticence to put Frazer Clarke in with Fabio Wardley for the British, based on Clarke in their view, not yet amassing enough, competitive rounds in his pro career.

The more experience Azim gains in the ring, the more willing Boxxer will be to put Azim in with a fighter of the caliber of Smith. He clearly has the power and shot selection that will rise him up the ranks, but the Reyes fight is the first piece of evidence that supports a case for him being able to overcome situations in the ring when things inevitably go wrong, and also measure the full distance.

Dalton Smith Composed Control In The Ring

Dalton Smith in his last few outings has showcased his modus operandi as a fighter: stalking forward patiently, luring fighters into traps, and then letting his hands go when the moment arises.

Against Sam O’Maison for the British super-lightweight title, he was near-faultless in his performance, capped off with a clinical knockout.

He hasn’t had a similar eye-catching stoppage since but has had the chance to test the waters further with his composed boxing ability. While the lack of knockouts in his last fights may encourage Boxxer to risk it all with a fight with Smith, there will still be a consciousness that Azim isn’t as far along the line yet as a pro fighter.

There will similarly be an awareness that Kaisee Benjamin is a formidably awkward fighter, stylistic conundrum, and level of competition which Azim hasn’t got a cross-comparison with.

Why Adam Azim vs Dalton Smith Should Happen

I went to Azim’s show-reel performance against Rylan Charlton as a fan and felt compelled to speak to Smith and let him know that while timing is everything with a fight between him and Azim, it cannot be allowed to marinade for too long and happen too late.

We have since with Khan vs Brook that a tantalizing domestic rivalry has been a can kicked down the road for too long and not hit the jackpot of taking place when both fighters were at the peak of their respective powers.

Azim vs Smith is the one fight in this series that I acknowledge is not going to be on the cards for the immediate future. Nonetheless, it is important that it constantly gets spoken of, both by the fans and the relevant parties involved in helping bring it into existence, with a hyper-sensitivity that it won’t overripen. It’s too good a fight, to go to waste.

By Harry Duffy

Also, read Ben Shalom Responds to Eddie Hearn’s Comments on Ben Whittaker & Bivol vs Azeez Talks