Meet Adam Azim, 'The Assassin' inspired by Amir Khan eyeing glory in star studded stable

The talented 20-year-old Azim was present as a child at some of Khan's earliest successes, including against Michael Gomez and when he beat Andriy Kotelnik to first become a world champion in 2009, and 13 years later he fought on the undercard when Khan lost to Kell Brook before announcing his retirement.

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Not unlike Khan in his first years as a professional, Azim, who is also of Pakistani descent, is recognised as one of Britain's most exciting fighters, and he is determined to emulate his successes while remaining wary that Khan ultimately fought on for too long.

Khan, 35 when he lost so convincingly to Brook, had been vulnerable since being stopped by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and had little left to give. A third stoppage defeat in six fights almost inevitably followed against his rival, and Azim, who first watched Khan when he beat Gairy St Clair in February 2008, was again present when he bowed out.

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"That fight probably should have happened 10 years ago," he told talkSPORT ahead of his February 11 date with Reyes on Boxxer's card. "If it'd happened a bit earlier we'd have seen the real Khan. It was very sad. Kell Brook was physically bigger that day; Khan looked too small for Kell.

"The atmosphere was brilliant. I saw Khan when he walked out and he gave me the fist up; I was really excited for that fight.

"My dad used to take me to his fights. When I was a kid I was inspired by Amir Khan. He's done so much in the sport; I want to do the same. I've got a picture of me ringside, watching him fight, as a little kid.

"He came to [my hometown] Slough once, and done a meet and greet with his fans. I must have been five or six years old. He signed my glove - I've still got it in the back of my garage. The first time I met him [as an adult] was the Khan and Brook press conference. He knew a lot about me.

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"He tells me a lot of things. How he used to wrap his hands; [about his] gloves; his business mind.

"He had blistering hand speed, and the combination punching; power. He knows I could be a world champion at a young age, like him [Khan was 22 when he beat Kotelnik].

"He retired really late. He said to me, 'Win a world title'. I want to become undisputed champion, like George Kambosos Jnr did; [Devin] Haney; I want to do the exact same thing."

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Azim is just one of the promising fighters led by Shane McGuigan out of perhaps Britain's finest stable, in London. He first spent time there when Luke Campbell, once a decorated amateur and an established contender as a professional, remained an active fighter, and saw and experienced enough to be convinced he needed to join McGuigan's Gym.

As with Azim there have been predictions of world titles for his stablemates Chris Billam-Smith, Daniel and Caroline Dubois and Ellie Scotney, and unsurprisingly, given her reputation, Azim - whose older brother Hassan and WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie are further stablemates - believes Caroline Dubois is the most talented of them all.

"She's very, very heavy-handed," he said of the 22-year-old. "She's got power in both hands. Her [ring] IQ's unbelievable. She's a threat. She's going to become a multi-weight world champion. I wouldn't be surprised if she wins a world title this year.

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"She's the best girl in the UK right now. She's unbelievable, the way she punches. She's going to become a [international boxing] hall of famer. She hits so hard, just like her brother [heavyweight] Daniel.

"[Scotney's] brilliant as well. She's a high work-rate fighter; her IQ level's really good, and she trains really hard. She pushes me, and I push her. She's definitely going to be a world champion as well.

"I used to go spar Luke Campbell - probably my hardest spar. Every time I got in the ring I had to be switched on. He's been up there with [Vasyl] Lomachenko and [Jorge] Linares. The top level. I can't switch off [against him]. He's a world-class fighter. His distance; the way he places his shots.

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"When I saw Shane coaching Luke Campbell; doing pads with Luke Campbell; doing pads with other people - the way he coaches is brilliant. He's one of the best trainers in the UK - probably the best.

"I did a trial with him. He said, 'You've got power in both hands; you've got speed'. [I knew then that] this was the trainer I needed.

"Everyone in that gym's thriving. They're all world-class fighters. You've got Chris; Daniel; Caroline; Ellie; me; my brother; Robbie [Davies Jnr]. There's so many great fighters in that gym. I keep watching them, to learn."

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