Adam Azim vs Steve Claggett

Adam Azim should win this, but Steve Claggett is not the sort of opponent you look good against unless your feet, discipline and engine are in good shape, and remember, he took Teofimo Lopez the full 12 rounds.

The danger for Azim is rhythm. Claggett is a come-forward pressure fighter; he keeps his hands busy, takes ground, and makes opponents work when they want breathing room. Against Lopez, he lost clearly, but the punch numbers show the sort of fight he drags men into: Lopez threw 956 punches, Claggett threw 744, and Claggett still landed 156 despite being outclassed. That tells you plenty. He is durable, stubborn and awkward because he does not give you the pauses a young flashy fighter likes.

But I still favour Azim strongly. He is quicker of hand and foot, sharper with the straight shots, and he has been showing more maturity. The Kurt Scoby win was useful because Azim did not just blast him out early, he stayed switched on and got the stoppage in the 12th round. That matters here because Claggett will test whether Azim can box properly for long spells under pressure.

Technically, Azim needs to resist standing square after he throws. If he admires his work, Claggett will walk him to the ropes and turn it into a grind. The key punches are Azim’s jab to the chest, right hand over the top, and the check left hook when Claggett steps in. If Azim keeps turning him, resets in the centre, and does not get dragged into macho exchanges, he should break Claggett up.

Azim should get the job done between rounds 9-12.