Dan Azeez: Rocky Fielding’s had more knockout wins than I’ve had fights! This is my hardest test to date | Boxing News

Dan Azeez fights with purpose. With days left before his British title defence against Rocky Fielding, he works through his training routine at his gym in south London.

He skips, whacks heavy bags, cycles through different combinations on the pads as Buddy McGirt barks instructions at him before Azeez finally finishes up with a session of shadowboxing.

On Saturday he defends the British light-heavyweight championship and looks to add the vacant Commonwealth title to his collection, live on Sky Sports. It’s a fight he is determined to win.

“That British title means a lot to me,” he tells Sky Sports. “I go down the supermarket, they don’t even call me Dan, it’s ‘The British champion’.

“That’s what it seem I go by. My community, my people they’re behind me, they encourage me, they’re proud of me.

“So that means a lot to me. Winning it. How I came about winning it, who I fought to win it, on the platform, just what I had to go through to win it – that title in particular means a lot to me.

“Even if I do win a world title in the future, God willing, the British title will probably still be my favourite.”

With his session finished, he leaves one end of the gym to be taken over by an amateur class, who batter away at bags and pads with gusto.

“It’s packed here, kids putting in work. It’s inspiring for me. It inspires me to want to keep pushing. Just not let anyone down. Not let myself down, not let the people who look up to me down, not let my coaches down,” Azeez said.

“It’s a good way to get kids of the street. We’ve got a high rise in knife crime. The more kids we can get off the street, the more lives we’re saving potentially. So it’s good. A lot of these kids that are out on the street they’re so talented but they don’t know where to put their energy. So this is always a good way.”

Seventeen fights into his professional career, Azeez has won British, English and Southern Area belts. But he believes Fielding will be his hardest contest to date.

“He’s got more knockouts than I’ve had fights,” he said, “I have to be aware of that. But I believe I can punch as well.

“He’s only been beaten by elite – not just good fighters, elite – fighters in Callum Smith and Canelo (Alvarez), who’s pound for pound the number one right now. I’ve got to give him my respect.

“But I also respect myself. I’m the British champion, the reigning champion and he’s the challenger. So I’m expecting a good fight and my hardest test to date.

“I think he’s coming to show everyone: look this ‘hype job’ isn’t on my level,” Azeez added. “I’m there to show I ain’t your typical hype job. Simple as that.”

An impressive performance and a good win could lead Azeez onto a world level contest next year.

“For now, I’ve got ‘Rocky from Stocky’ on my mind. That name in itself sounds scary,” Azeez said when it comes to fighting the real Rocky.

“I’ve got to be Creed from the first fight. The Creed that messed him up! I’ve got to be the south London Creed.

“Some people say I’m still British level or I’m European level, some people say I probably might be world level,” he continued. “Performance by performance, we’ll see how things go.

“All I know is that I put on a good performance, I win, defend the British title, add the Commonwealth to my resume, I’m definitely taking another step forward. Whether you call that European, world level, I’m definitely heading in the right direction, that’s all I can say.”

That of course will hinge on victory.

“There’s no other option,” Azeez declared. “Every fight I put it all on the line.

“At least that way I can say, listen, I ain’t got no regrets. If he beats me, I can say the better man won. As long as I put everything on the line, I can’t see anything but a win.”

Watch Azeez versus Fielding on the Chris Billam-Smith undercard live on Sky Sports Mix from 7pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 7.30pm on Saturday December 17