Adam Azim (standing) looks over a fallen Ohara Davies in his October 19 8th round knockout at Copper Box Arena in Hackney Wick, London. Photo Credit: Chris Dean, BOXXER
At a crucial crossroads, one side advanced, and the other called it a career.
Adam Azim produced a superb performance in an eighth round knockout of Ohara Davies. Azim landed two knockouts, the latter forcing the stoppage at 1:18 of round eight on Saturday at Copper Box Arena in Hackney Wick, London.
The Sky Sports/Peacock+ main event, presented by BOXXER, saw Azim, 22, working behind the bar early on before finally unloading his full arsenal. Davies, 32, threatened an early fight before quickly raising his guard.
In a more competitive second round, Davies tried to land his left hook. Azim made the defensive adjustment to avoid being caught by a fluke shot and continued his disciplined attack.
The right hand began to flow with greater regularity for Azim in the third. His growing confidence in the weapon paved the way for him to develop his left hook in the fourth as Davies quickly ran out of answers.
Azim scored the first takedown of the evening midway through the fifth round. A left hook caught Davies just below his right elbow, prompting a delayed reaction takedown. Davies beat the score, but his nose was already bloody and well on the cards up to that point.
Action continued as the fight entered the second half of the contest. Davies refused to wilt but had nothing to keep his younger, undefeated foe at bay.
Azim (12-0, 9 strikeouts) found his home run in the eighth. A left hook over the top forced Davies to touch his right hand to the side of the head before going to the canvas. Referee Mark Lyson issued his score before Davies’ corner called for the end of the fight.
It could also be his last time stepping into the ring as a pro boxer.
“I had my time in the sport of boxing for ten years. This could be the end of my boxing career,” Davies (25-4, 18 KOs) noted. “I still have my faculties. It could be the end of my career and I’m honored that it came against Adam Azim.”
There’s a lot to like about Azim, who scored the biggest win of his promising career.
The Shane McGuigan-trained boxer needed this moment after a frustrating 2024 campaign. He saw opportunities slip away for drive plays against compatriots Dalton Smith and Harlem Eubank. The latter match was almost set for earlier this month, but a clerical issue caused BOXXER to lose on the date.
It all worked out in the end.
“It was my best performance,” insisted Azim, agreeing with the general consensus. “I had to be switched on for (Davies). He is my friend, but he is also a world title contender, very dangerous. It’s sad because we are friends. No matter what happened in here, I got so much love for him.”
Davies—who was born in nearby Hackney—has now lost two in a row.
He teased the possibility of retirement before the fight, which came nine months after a January 6th 1st round knockout of Ismael ‘Abuelo’ Barroso. Davies had won six in a row up to that point, including a ninth-round knockout of Lewis Ritson in their WBA title eliminator last March. It was enough to earn a shot at the interim WBA 140-pound belt, only to leave Vegas empty-handed after the crushing loss to Barroso.
Saturday’s loss prompted him to resign to pave the way for the next generation.
“Adam is very good,” Davies admitted. “He’s much better than I thought, much better than I expected. Adam is going to go far in this sport.”
For now, Azim will be content with revisiting his recent past.
“I want to fight Dalton Smith next year,” Azim insisted. “I want to fight Harlem Eubank next year. But listen, (Davies) is tougher than all these (fighters) are.”
