Adam Azim remains unimpressed with Dalton Smith’s two most recent performances and has publicly urged his domestic rival to take on tougher challenges and quicken his path forward.
The two undefeated super-lightweights have been seen as future opponents for well over a year, yet a highly anticipated clash between them still seems far off.
Supporters of Smith (18-0, 13 KOs) often argue that his significantly greater experience gives him the edge over Azim. The 28-year-old Smith is indeed on the verge of a world title opportunity, holding the number-one ranking with the WBC, which positions him to challenge the winner of the Alberto Puello vs Subriel Matias fight scheduled for July 12th.
However, despite his undeniable talent, Azim believes Smith has done very little, apart from his fifth-round stoppage of Jose Zepeda last year, to truly establish himself as a leading contender in the 140-pound division. His two opponents since Zepeda, Walid Ouizza and Mathieu Germain, offered virtually no resistance; Ouizza was finished in the first round, while Germain appeared solely focused on surviving.
For this reason, Azim (13-0, 10 KOs) firmly states that his own career progression has been more intentionally managed and has consistently moved him upwards. He considers his stoppage victories over experienced fighters like Sergey Lipinets and Ohara Davies to be far more significant achievements than Smith’s recent fights.
While Azim’s next opponent has not yet been announced, Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom has hinted at a potential fight for the 23-year-old against former two-time world champion Regis Prograis. Regardless of who he faces next, ‘The Assassin’ did not hold back in offering his critical opinion on Smith’s recent career choices.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Azim expressed his surprise, saying, “It’s a bit shocking because how can you go from Zepeda into fighting two average fighters? Look at the fights I’ve been taking: Ohara Davies, Sergey Lipinets – two great fighters, good fighters and very tough fights. He’s not going into tough fights.”
Azim also questioned Smith`s delay in pursuing a title shot: “If you’re mandatory to fight for the world title, [then] fight for the world title. I don’t know what he’s holding back for. If you don’t fight for the world title, then you’re going to lose that opportunity.”
