Adam Azim recorded his best victory to date against Sergey Lipinets on Saturday night.
On paper, the Russian, who previously held the IBF super lightweight title between 2017 and 2018, looked like a stern test for the fast-rising Brit.
However, he proved to be no match for Azim, who blasted out the rugged veteran inside 9 rounds.
Lipinets came out on the front foot looking to make Azim work but the Slough puncher effortlessly evaded his adversary and came back with sharp, spiteful shots.
Azim dropped Lipinets in the third round with a short left hook before rocking him badly at the end of the eighth frame and then stopping him on his feet at the start of the ninth stanza with a fast flurry.
It was a masterful display from a young boxer filled to the brim with talent.
Although Azim’s performance was not without fault.
During the course of the contest, Azim landed a remarkable four low blows on Lipinets and was deducted two points as a result.
After receiving a warning from referee Steve Gray for a punch that landed below the belt line in the second stanza, Azim sunk Lipinets to his knees with a sickening shot to the nether region in the fourth.
Gray was left with no option but to deduct a point, and after Azim’s punches strayed low twice more in rounds five and seven he took away another.
Ironically, Lipinets returned the favour in round eight with a low blow of his own to bring the tally up to five before he was blown away in the following frame.
Speaking after the fight, Azim said: “The first knockdown, I didn’t know I hit him. I had to be patient.
“To be world-class, you have to be patient. He’s a very big puncher and I’ve got so much respect for him.
“He was going really low, I couldn’t see where his belt was, he was small, and it was so hard for me to place the shot.
“But I had to stop them, Shane said ‘If you do that again, I’ll make you do 100 burpees in the gym’.
“I was working on inside fighting with Shane in the gym. It’s really hard to see Lipinets go like that.”
On his next fight, he added: “Whatever my team suggest [I’ll do next], but you know what, Dalton Smith, you better be watching my friend.
“You ain’t that good my friend, I’m coming. When I do fight him I’m gonna teach him a lesson.”
