ADAM AZIM passed this acid test with flying colours by dropping and stopping Ohara Davies inside eight rounds at the Copper Box.
The two have been friends for over a decade after training together at the Peacock Gym just down the road from this arena.
But there was no room for sentiment from Azim who looked sharp throughout in his first fight since February against experienced puncher Davies.
Azim put the 32-year-old over for the first time in the fifth with a body shot before the finish came three rounds later via a left hook to the chin with the official time of the stoppage recorded at 1:18 of round eight.
The Slough man, still just 22, is now 12-0 with nine KOs as a result of this, his third straight inside-distance win.
Azim totally controlled the first round, landing at will with his lightning fast jab as Davies struggled to land anything at all. Azim also gave a hint to his knockout power with a couple of right hands which found the target in an impressive opening three minutes.
But Davies settled in the second and landed with a hard left hand which Azim seemed to feel, and then continued to find his range through the third. Azim, meanwhile, was throwing only singles and the occasional double and shipped a right hand from Davies right on the bell.
The 32-year-old was clearly growing into the fight and began the fourth on the front foot, bobbing and weaving himself into range while by now avoiding many of Azim’s sharp jabs. But he did take a right hand, left hook combination from Azim and smiled back in reply. Another left hook and a right uppercut from Azim would follow before the bell to end the round.
Azim decided the time was right to turn the screw in the fifth and started to throw with more volume. He soon found a breakthrough when a left hook to the body sent Davies down to one knee. Azim wheeled away to the neutral corner in celebration but Davies rose in time to beat the count. Azim continued to apply the pressure and wobbled the bloodied Davies again before the end of the round.
HIGH VOLTAGE PROMOTION
COPPERBOX,
STRATFORD
LONDON
PIC CHRIS DEAN/BOXXER
ADAM AZIM. V. OHARA DAVIES
It was pretty much one-way traffic in the sixth too, but Davies got through with a counter left just before the end of the round, providing a timely reminder to Azim not to switch off.
Instead, the younger man maintained intelligent pressure until he found the finish in the eighth, when a left hook sent Davies down for the second time. Cornerman Barry Smith was already on the ring apron waving the white towel while referee Mark Lyson counted, but Davies could not beat the count anyway.
