Adam Azim vs Santos Reyes: Did the new star receive a painful lesson? | Experience ‘invaluable’ says George Groves | Boxing News

Adam Azim didn’t score the knockout so many have come to expect of him when he boxed Santos Reyes on Saturday night.

But in just his eighth professional fight, at only 20 years of age, Azim did soundly outpoint the previously unbeaten Reyes.

He also dropped the Nicaraguan heavily in the second round as he took a shutout unanimous decision win at Wembley Arena.

Azim considered that a “tough test passed”.

“Dropped and dominated Santos Reyes whilst showing I can onboard 10 rounds too,” he added.

“You can’t buy experience. I’ve taken away more from last night’s fight than I have from all my fights combined. Huge respect to Reyes. He was tough,” Azim said on social media afterwards.

He also disclosed that he picked up a hand injury in the second round of that contest and fought through it.

“X-ray post-fight has revealed a fracture in my scaphoid,” Azim said.

“Nothing serious. We go into rest mode for Ramadan and go again after that.”

Was the performance good enough?

But for a prospect who has set himself such lofty goals – he likes to win by knockout, he wants to fight for a European title this year and he wants to become one of Britain’s youngest ever world champions – was that performance good enough?

Sky Sports pundits had their say:

Former super-middleweight world champion George Groves believes “at this point in his career where he seems like he’s flying, where everything’s moving almost too quickly for him, to get a good solid 10 rounds under his belt” it was the right thing for Azim.

“He’s headlining again, he’s taking the stress and strain of headlining a show on Sky Sports, for only the second time. A really good performance, sharp throughout. Improvements in certain aspects. Showed his punch power, dropped Reyes in the second round, invaluable rounds under his belt,” Groves said.

“He is that sort of athlete, they’re frightening fighters to be in with, if they’re going to stay sharp and punch hard for an entire fight.

“He’s done it for 10 rounds, he can definitely do it for 12 rounds. They’re talking about moving him on to be the youngest British world champion we’ve ever had. I wouldn’t bet against it at this point.”

Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke also thought it was “priceless”.

“He got to go through the repertoire, every shot in the book. His movement was great, shot selection and he looked like he was enjoying it as well. I’ve got to credit the opponent. What a tough man,” Clarke said.

“After that knockdown I thought the writing was on the wall but he really gritted his teeth and stuck in there. To top the bill at such a young age, so inexperienced, is fantastic.”

“[Azim] boxes above his age. He boxes like someone that is very experienced. We know down the line, in them long world title fights, hard world title fights, European title fights, you need them rounds, you need that experience.

“But the expectations are good because we know where he’s aiming. I think if he carries on the way he’s going I have no doubt he’ll be there.”

Natasha Jonas, the unified super-welterweight world champion, wants to see Azim continue to be matched well.

“There’s a whole business behind matchmaking, that the viewers, the fans and the audience don’t get to see,” she said.

“He’s got the belief in himself. He’s got the talent. We now need to find him the matches. You do need to push on. You don’t want to stay at that level. He’s got all these expectations on him and things that he wants to achieve.

“There are opponents out there. There’s a lot more depth in the men’s side than there is in female boxing so you’ve just got to look hard to find them and give them a big enough prize for wanting to accept it.”

Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson said: “You can’t pretend to have experience and that’s the best thing for him – to have somebody that’s durable, that’s going to be pushing you all the time, going to be letting the shots go all the time, with one lapse in concentration and the glory train’s over, the story’s over.

“So I think Shane [McGuigan, Azim’s trainer], his team, everybody in the gym will be happy with that performance.

“I think he needed it. He needed it for the next level in his career.”