Adam Azim vs Aram Fanyan rearranged for September
Adam Azim, the hottest young talent in British boxing, heads to the AO Arena Manchester on Saturday, September 2nd, joining the blockbuster Smith vs Eubank II pay-per-view card on a mission to fast-track himself to world-title contention and fulfil a promise made to his idol Amir Khan.
Having accepted a challenge laid down by Amir Khan – who became world champion at just 22 years old – to win his first world title at an even younger age, the 21-year-old Azim is taking a big step up in opposition in an attempt to fast-track himself into world title contention.
Dangerous Ukrainian Aram Fanyan (22-1, 4 KO’s) has nearly three times Azim’s professional experience and just one career loss, making the young veteran a serious test for the young Azim (8-0, 6 KO’s). Fanyan is headed to Manchester intent on derailing Azim’s momentum and stealing the young prodigy’s shine for himself.
Originally scheduled for June, the clash was postponed when a severe bacterial infection took root in Azim’s left hand via a cut sustained in a training session. Now fully recovered, the super-lightweight standout is straining at the leash to put on another show-stopping performance for British fight fans at one of the most anticipated boxing events of the year.
"Aram Fanyan isn't coming to roll over. He's dangerous, he's experienced and we all know what's going on in Ukraine right now – he wants to win for his country as much as anything. He's very motivated and he's not a guy to underestimate, so he's definitely a good opponent," said Azim.
"He's the toughest opponent of my career so far and I'm looking to put on a great performance which shows beyond doubt that I am ready to to step up to that next level and start winning some titles. Being on a big pay-per-view card like Smith vs Eubank 2 is just extra motivation for me – I want to be headlining my own pay-per-views in the future and the road to that really starts with this fight on September 2nd."
Fanyan said, “This is a huge opportunity for me to fight on one of the world's biggest television platforms for the sport of boxing. Ukraine has produced some great names in boxing. After this fight, Aram Fanyan is the next Ukrainian name the world's boxing fans will come to know
“Adam Azim is young but already has a big name and big reputation, so when I travel to England and beat him on his home soil, that's going to get a lot of attention and it's going to open up some huge opportunities for me.”
Promoter, Ben Shalom, added, “Adam Azim is a prodigious talent and having just turned 21 we’ve still only seen a fraction of what he’s capable of. His natural ability combined with his work ethic and ambition is frightening. We believe he is the future star of this sport. On September 2nd he will feature on a pay-per-view card for the first time and we believe he will headline many pay-per-views of his own in the future. He’s facing a dangerous, experienced opponent in Aram Fanyan. It’s an important test for Adam Azim and a big step forward for his career.”
BOXXER: Smith vs Eubank II – Repeat or Revenge? takes place Saturday, September 2nd at the AO Arena Manchester and airs live and exclusively as a Sky Sports Box Office pay-per-view event.
Azim vs Fanyan joins previously announced undercard bouts including a big domestic heavyweight clash between Frazer Clarke (7-0, 5 KO's) and Dave Allen (25-5-2, 18 KOs), a welterweight encounter between 'The Albanian King' Florian Marku (12-0-1, 7 KO's) and Irish rival Dylan Moran (18-1, 8 KO's) plus British super-middleweight champion Mark Heffron (29-2-1, 23 KO's) against Jack Cullen (21-4-1, 9 KO's) and the return to the ring of light-heavyweight sensation Ben Whittaker (4-0, 3 KO's).
Final remaining tickets are available via Boxxer.com
This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.
Article sponsored by HÖRFA