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00:00I've already spoken to you both, you know what I expect, stay professional, obey my commands and most of all, protect yourselves at all times.
00:12Good job boys, good job team.
00:31Azeem looking hyped up on the ring walk, maybe we'll get a fast start from him.
00:39Davis just with that familiar wide stance, he's been a good fighter for a long time.
00:47A crafty fighter, he can hang out on that back foot, look to counter you with that right hand and he can punch.
00:53He's always had that power, tucks up pretty well, half turn that back at times, get the chin behind the shoulder, clamping those long, long arms and protect what is actually quite a short upper body.
01:08Good jab there from Azeem.
01:24Yeah, super fast start from Azeem here, O'Hara Davis having to adjust to that speed.
01:32You can see already, after only a minute, the guard is now tightened.
01:38He's not able to be quick enough to catch that jab on the backhand, he's trying to block it now, punch off of it himself.
01:47These two go a long way back of course.
01:50First ran into Azeem when he was nine years old, O'Hara Davis.
01:55These two and Anthony Yardley we've just seen work together under Kunde Ajayi for a spell, good strong right hand there from Azeem.
02:03Half swivelled, O'Hara Davis around in his stance.
02:07He's got to watch dropping that left hand when he's on the way back, he throws the jab out and then it drops down, he's got to bring it straight back to the chin otherwise Azeem's going to tie him in and just come right over the top.
02:20He's trying to hook off of that jab and usually that's a great shot for him.
02:25But the difference in the hand speed means that hook's not coming out quick enough and when Azeem comes in for a fast one too, that right hand's getting to the target before his left hook.
02:36Again the left hand comes back low, he's got to be careful O'Hara Davis, Azeem's going to time him.
02:43Very sharp start this from Azeem, just the one fight this year that stoppage of Enoch Poulton in defence of his European title that he won last year.
02:54About this time last year against Frank Petitjean in Wolverhampton.
02:59Chopping down with that right hand, didn't quite find a home for it.
03:05Azeem's jabbed to the head, jabbed to the body, then come in, bring his feet in and throw the right hand to the head, up, up, off the back of the jab to the body.
03:28Good jab again there from Azeem.
03:34Listen, he's just trying to get used to your speed, yeah?
03:42So the more you move your head and fire off it, don't get eager, nudge your feet in.
03:48Move your head and nudge your feet in, move your head, nudge your feet in.
03:51And listen, if it's not there, if it's too far out, just keep moving the head.
03:57Yeah, nice right hand there, just feint the jab, left hook, right hand.
04:05Well, it kind of hit the shoulder, didn't it?
04:08Yeah, but he wasn't far away.
04:16Aharad Davis, you know, he throws the jab out and the left hand comes back, but it doesn't come back to the chin, it comes down low here.
04:22And I think if Azeem could just time the jab and just punch through it.
04:34Yeah.
04:45Just trying to inch in with that front foot there, Davis, to take a little bit of space from Azeem, see if he can get that jab off himself.
04:55Well, it's a different look from Aharad Davis here, he's got that left hand out in front now.
05:01Obviously, then you can use that arm as a barrier, bring the shoulder up, try and use it in a defensive way.
05:07Jamal got so far to travel.
05:10He went to try and step in there with the left hand, didn't quite land it.
05:13But he's, as you say, George, he's changed things up at the start of the second round here.
05:17He's looking to try and step to Azeem a little bit more.
05:21That was a good shot from Aharad Davis.
05:23He kind of leaned onto his left side and then it was like a lead left hand as opposed to a jab.
05:29You throw the right hand, you put the weight on the front foot and then you spring up from it.
05:33It was a good shot from Aharad Davis.
05:42Good handspeed from Azeem.
05:59Just short with a jab there, Davis.
06:01Azeem stepping into a left hook almost, didn't quite land that one either.
06:13Just trying to hook off the jab there, Azeem.
06:15Davis just before that with his jab, I don't think it really landed.
06:21That one half landed.
06:24That one half landed.
06:29Into the final minute of round two.
06:31It's been interesting, the adaptations that Davis has made quickly, George.
06:36As you picked out at the start of this round, off the back of that first, he's done it quick.
06:40He's been fast about it, hasn't he?
06:42Yeah, and he's got long arms, Aharad Davis, and he commits to the shot.
06:48He's falling short at the moment and it's these really neat and tidy, speedy head movements from Azeem.
06:58McGuigan in his corner was right, he's trying to figure out his speed.
07:02And sometimes, just that little bit more flow and a couple more touches that don't need to be lightning fast,
07:10married in with the speed, is where you have some success.
07:13And this has come now in this last minute of this round where, picked up the volume,
07:17a bit more aggressive with the head movement, pressing on the front foot.
07:25Landed the right hand, Azeem. Davis looked to try and chop down with the right hand himself, just missed.
07:44We don't send women to combat.
07:46Well, that's a problem because I'm here.
07:49Even when I wanted to look away,
07:52Come on!
07:53I knew I couldn't.
08:14Welcome back, everybody.
08:16And one thing that Davis did in that second round, Matt, was just change up the use of that lead hand in particular.
08:24He came to counter with the right hand, realised it wasn't there,
08:27but he was in a good position then to punch up the front foot and get a bit of power into that lead left hand.
08:35Good jab from Davis there, two good jabs to start the round.
08:38Gets really underneath the shoulder with it as he pops it up.
08:42You know, as George says, when he throws it, he really commits to it.
08:45He's not half-hearted with it, he really steps in with it.
08:57That's a good jab from Azeem to get through the guard.
09:00He has got crazy long arms, O'Hara Davis.
09:03It's one of the things that makes somebody suited to be a fighter.
09:06There's that left hand again, he leads off with the right, it doesn't make it.
09:09And then he steps into the left.
09:13Right hand now, George.
09:23Slightly strange, Davis, isn't it?
09:27Like, I think he's so committed with his jab, it's quite hard for him to punch off of his jab.
09:33He actually finds it easier to punch off of his right hand.
09:35His right hand lands and then he just wants to throw that left straight after it.
09:41You can see here, he's got to commit to sort of get any sort of chance of landing his jab.
09:46He's never really in a position to punch off of it.
09:48He kind of leaves it out there, doesn't he?
09:52Davis in that time had tried to chop down with the right hand.
09:55He's attempted that a couple of times now and hasn't managed to pull it off, not yet anyway.
10:05He keeps his right hand in a really good position, very disciplined, right on the chin.
10:09And that's the best place to throw a right hand from.
10:12Now the left hand, the jabbing hand, it can float around, it can go high, low, whatnot.
10:16But you always want that right hand on the chin.
10:19It's that defence, that barrier between the saviour from getting knocked out sometimes.
10:25And it's actually the best place to throw a right hand from, from one point A to point B.
10:31Just want to see him throw it a bit more at Hora Davis.
10:35He's been very sparing with that right hand so far.
10:38Threw it there, got good extension on that one, really snapped into it.
10:43Lovely long arc on it, it wasn't too far away.
10:46And he's got to be careful there, Azeem, because Davis will be looking for that lovely jab there from Azeem Lowe.
10:51Stiff ramrod left hand that landed.
10:54And actually Azeem fired back a nice right uppercut to the body off the right hand that he took.
10:58He kind of went with it and then fired a straight right hand, like an uppercut to the body.
11:03Against Davis.
11:05And this is warming up now towards the end of round three.
11:08Good combination there from Azeem.
11:15And there's that one-two again from Davis.
11:18He's allowed himself to warm into this, if you like.
11:22Hasn't looked to throw that right from the start, but he is looking for it now.
11:28And again there, good stuff.
11:30Good stuff. Let's go backstage.
11:32Leteilo is with Dan Aziz.
11:35Dan, it feels like every time we talk there's a British title on the line.
11:38But this time it's even more important.
11:40You get to keep that Lonsdale belt with a win tonight.
11:43What does that mean to you?
11:44It means a lot.
11:45I've always gone through my career with the mindset of you've got to earn your keep.
11:50And I've come back off a loss and a draw.
11:53So today I've definitely got to earn that strap.
11:56It's great that both the Commonwealth and the British is on the line.
12:00Absolutely. Well, Louis is up for it.
12:02What do you know about him from your fight study?
12:04He's a good fighter. He's sleek. He's far sharp.
12:08Good footwork.
12:10Everything you'd want in a good up-and-coming boxer.
12:13So I've definitely got to stay focused, concentrate and don't overlook anything.
12:19Good luck.
12:20Thank you very much.
12:22Huge night for Aziz and Edmondson.
12:24It's a chance he's been waiting for, for what will have felt like forever.
12:28For Aziz, he has to win if he wants to keep his career going at the level he has been at.
12:35It's as simple as that.
12:36Into round four and it heated up towards the end of round three.
12:40And I think we're going to get a very entertaining fight from this point onwards.
12:43Davis just looking to creep in.
12:46He got his range with that one-two towards the end of that previous round.
12:51We know that he can be dangerous with that right hand.
12:53He always has been.
12:58Nazeem using that jab.
13:00They're just circling around each other.
13:02Centre ring looking to engage whenever they get the merest glimpse of an opening.
13:17Tucks up well behind the shoulder there, Davis.
13:20Good combination from Nazeem, but most of it was blocked.
13:23Then the jab did get through.
13:26Left hook from Nazeem, a smile from Davis.
13:41It's a heavy right hand.
13:42That left glove is up in place there from Davis,
13:44but even still it makes him give a little bit of ground.
13:47An uppercut on the inside there from Nazeem with his left hand.
13:50Almost caught Davis as he just dipped to his right-hand side.
14:06One-two and then finishes with a left hook,
14:09but again towards that right hand from Davis.
14:11That discipline with the right hand that you mentioned,
14:13that was absolutely key there because that could have done some damage.
14:17Yeah, I think when Adam Nazeem adds that third shot now,
14:22that's where he's going to have the most success.
14:25Ahara Davis starting to warm up now.
14:27He's looking to try and punch off of Nazeem's fast hands.
14:32But, you know, everything is lightning fast with Nazeem.
14:39Sometimes I'd like to see him just vary that speed.
14:41Sounds bizarre, but just punch a little slower.
14:44Lull the fellow in front of you into that full sense of security
14:47that they get used to that rhythm and then you speed it up.
14:50Sometimes the slowest shot hits you because you're so used to the fast one,
14:54you miss time to slow down.
14:57I am to the best of us, Matt, don't worry.
15:02Final stages of round four and Nazeem has just turned the screw a little bit maybe
15:06in this fourth round.
15:07I think there might be just a little bit of blood just down the left-hand side
15:10of the nose of Ahara Davis.
15:13Nazeem looking for that left hand as Davis was opening out with his own left.
15:21There is the simple come from somewhere.
15:23Lovely right uppercut.
15:24Nazeem just stepped in, set himself.
15:26Got great purchase on that good round there from Adam Nazeem.
15:30Let's go down ringside.
15:31Andy Scott is with Barry McGuigan.
15:34Barry, you're living every moment as you always do.
15:36What's working?
15:37What do you want to see more of from Adam Nazeem?
15:39I want to see more of his jab, keep his left hand out in front,
15:42because he keeps turning into a left hook, Ahara.
15:47He keeps walking onto the left hook, so I want to see him jab,
15:50lift the left hook and drop the right hand.
15:52That's what I want to see.
15:53And then I want to see a second phase to his attack.
15:56Do you think he can get to Ahara?
15:58Yeah, I think he can get to him.
15:59He's dangerous, there's no question about it.
16:01He can't switch off, but that's what this game is all about.
16:04You've got to understand that you switch off of people, you get caught.
16:07So you've just got to keep the pressure on, use his jab,
16:10put his combination together and move his head.
16:13Lovely stuff, Barry. Great to see you.
16:15That was a lovely shot.
16:16Left hook, right hook, a good combination through the middle there.
16:19I don't know if that was the shot or he was already bleeding,
16:22but the nose was pumping the blood there, walking back to the corner.
16:29So heading into the fifth.
16:30And Nazeem did up the pressure in that previous round.
16:34Turned that screw a touch.
16:37It'll be interesting to see if he can keep that going.
16:39Davis coming out strong at the start of round five.
16:43And the fighters always have that instinct for when momentum is just starting
16:46to build against them and they know that they have to do something about it.
16:50They can't allow it to keep going,
16:51but that blood just coming from the end of the nose there of Davis.
16:58Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if he's broken his nose.
17:00It's really flying out, isn't it, the blood?
17:08Good right hand there from Nazeem.
17:13And Davis in a little bit of trouble here, I think.
17:17If he has got issues with a broken nose,
17:20then it'll make it difficult to breathe.
17:22Blood could be hitting the back of the throat.
17:24He'll be swallowing it, gulping it down.
17:26And you can kind of feel like you're drowning at times.
17:29That's how fighters have described it to me before.
17:32That is not what you want to be with someone like Nazeem in front of you.
17:40Nazeem's reflexes are just second to none.
17:43He gets called out of a left hook.
17:46But before then, he can see so many shots coming,
17:50especially when they come from nothing.
17:53And it's a quick dip to the left, quick dip to the right.
17:57And it's a quick dip to the left, quick dip to the right.
17:59There is a left hand into the body there
18:01that has eventually put O'Hara-Davis down.
18:04It got followed up and he landed one about 15 seconds beforehand
18:08that I thought had maybe hurt him because he just backed off,
18:11dropped that right elbow, managed to stay up and eventually went down.
18:14Just over a minute remaining in round five
18:16and O'Hara-Davis is in the eye of the Azeem Storm here
18:20and he needs to try and find some cover.
18:22But it is really not available.
18:24Azeem just stepping to him and just reining the punches in.
18:29Davis trying to clamp that right forearm down to protect that ribcage.
18:33Yeah, I think Azeem senses the finish is on here.
18:35He's going to look to turn the screw.
18:44And all of a sudden, that side has turned
18:48and it's turned quick and it's turned heavy
18:50and the legs almost went there from O'Hara-Davis.
18:53He tries to punch his way off the ropes.
18:55Good right hand there from Azeem.
18:57Staggers-Davis who smiles back at him through bloody teeth.
19:04This is systematic from Azeem.
19:07It is calculated, it is cold, it is brutal.
19:1115 seconds remaining in round five.
19:16Chops down with the right hand.
19:19Help him, Azeem!
19:22I think the bell is coming at a good time for Davis.
19:27Right hand into the body there from Azeem.
19:30Davis makes his way back to his corner
19:32but this has got very, very tough.
19:38Davis, please.
19:40Come on, put it on him now.
19:42Yeah.
19:44All right.
19:46All right.
19:47Breathe for your mat, baby.
19:49Head back, breathe for your mat.
19:52That's how you finish up.
19:55All right.
20:01That was where he eventually went down
20:03where there was a left hand that landed
20:05about 15, 20 seconds before that.
20:07As you see the blood just come cascading out of the nose
20:11and I think really put the dent in him
20:13and that one was just one too many.
20:15I think that shot actually popped his own arm
20:17into the floating ribs.
20:19I don't think the punch landed, I think the punch hit the arm
20:22which then hit the body.
20:25I think he probably pre-winded from the other one.
20:27And you can imagine with the nose damage
20:29it's even more difficult to get the air in to the lungs.
20:36This is a hard road for O'Hara Davis
20:38but he dug in in that fifth round.
20:40He made it through
20:41but Azeem will just go about his business all over again.
20:47Yeah, he was under the cush there
20:49certainly the last 30 seconds, minute of the round
20:51but he's not ready to go yet
20:55so Azeem doing the right thing here.
20:57He hasn't come out trying to pick up where he left off.
20:59He's just settled back down here
21:01and trying to go again behind the jab.
21:04Davis looking for his own jab.
21:07Three single jabs there from Azeem in quick succession.
21:16But again the blood comes from the nose.
21:31The hand there comes back from Davis
21:33as Azeem was just caught coming in a little bit too early.
21:35Coming in a little bit tall.
21:43Nice and loose with the one-two there Azeem Davis
21:46looking for the jab.
22:06Left hand comes back there from Davis
22:09and he's coping pretty well in his sixth round so far
22:12considering what happened in the one before that
22:14just in the Azeem round still
22:16but he's making a decent fist of things here Davis.
22:19He's got to try and just grind his way back into things if he can.
22:24Yeah, Azeem yet to target the body in this round
22:27and maybe he's thinking once that highlight real knockout
22:30O'Hara Davis is on his way out.
22:33Doesn't want to let him slip.
22:34Doesn't want to let him off the hook here.
22:36Wants to keep cranking up the pressure.
22:45There's nice left at the cup.
22:49Didn't quite get through clean.
22:51Just strangled it.
22:53Davis with the gloves as it came through
22:55and it was a good job that he did
22:57into the final 30 seconds of round six.
23:00The pressure from Azeem though is still unrelenting.
23:03He's not worked super hard in this round
23:05but he's still made things rough here for Davis.
23:15Left hand there from Davis was a decent shot.
23:17Azeem slightly open as he went to the body.
23:21And now looking to finish the round strong here Azeem.
23:26And Davis just backing up in the final few seconds.
23:31All right.
23:35Starts now, bro. Listen.
23:37You're catching it nicely in the inside close range.
23:40You've got to shorten your punches a bit though, yeah?
23:42When you throw the hooks, don't throw it too wide.
23:45Keep your head still, fighter.
23:46I want short punches.
23:47Keep your head still.
23:49All right, let's have water.
23:50All right, listen.
23:51I've got water.
23:52You've got water.
23:53You've got to push it back.
23:54Do not trade left hooks with him, yeah?
23:56Yeah?
23:57Do not trade left hooks with him.
23:59Keep it short though.
24:00Short combinations.
24:02Short combinations.
24:04Short combinations on the inside.
24:05Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.
24:07Just do it like you're doing it, right?
24:10Start pressing back now.
24:12He's falling right apart.
24:13He's there for the takings.
24:15Don't hit him with one.
24:16You've got to hit him with a few
24:17and just make sure you're aware of what's coming back.
24:19Head and body take him out, yeah?
24:21Shane McGuigan, I think, just keen to
24:24let Adam Azeem off the leash.
24:27And I make him right.
24:28He wasn't exactly conservative in that previous round, George.
24:32I wouldn't say he took a round off,
24:33but he didn't go after him with quite the venom
24:35that we might have expected him to.
24:37Meanwhile, in that Davis corner,
24:39quite a lot of information, advice coming in
24:41from a few different voices,
24:43which I think is never ideal,
24:46but particularly when you're in a situation
24:48in a fight that he's in because he's up against it.
24:52One draw round, everything else to Azeem
24:54with a knockdown in the fifth
24:55and it has been pretty one way
24:58from that fourth round onwards, particularly.
25:18I really like this work from Azeem.
25:20This is something that we haven't seen a lot of him before.
25:23So he's showing up in a more rounded fight.
25:26He's trying to sit on O'Hara's chest,
25:28still making him miss
25:30within such close quarters
25:32and he's picking out these sweet shots.
25:34Lovely left to the body went in there.
25:36Rolls under the left hook.
25:40I was going to say the same thing, George.
25:42This is a mature look from Azeem.
25:44I haven't seen him really walk a fighter down like this
25:46and target the body the way he has.
25:50If you're going to sit in the pocket
25:51and let your hands go,
25:52you might get caught with the odd few.
25:55If you're not doing it perfectly.
25:57But he's boxing brilliantly in the pocket,
26:01on the front foot.
26:03Continually making O'Hara miss with that left hook.
26:07A minute 20 remaining in round seven.
26:09Davis is digging in here.
26:14Left hand there from Azeem.
26:23Lovely crisp jab there from Azeem.
26:37Davis just launches himself out of that neutral corner
26:40with a lead left hook,
26:41which didn't quite make it,
26:42but he followed it in
26:44and committed to it,
26:45letting his hands go.
26:53Hand speed again there from Azeem.
26:55Went underneath with the right hand
26:57and then as Davis came in,
26:59snapped it up top.
27:00Left hand into the body.
27:03We're happy to walk in here, Azeem,
27:05and just try and break O'Hara Davis down
27:08to the body shots.
27:09Rolling underneath the shots as well.
27:11Catching and countering as he's pushing him back.
27:18Again, just nudging him off.
27:21A step to him, doubling up on the right hook there.
27:23Good work from Azeem.
27:50Play your favorite games wherever you are.
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27:57In Texas, the chase is on.
28:01The Pirelli United States Grand Prix,
28:04live on Sky Sports.
28:20Led by Carlos Moreno, Barry Smith
28:22just leaning in from outside the road set.
28:32In surround Aiden,
28:34O'Hara Davis is a mile behind here really,
28:39but he's just trying to stay in the fight
28:42and see if something can happen for him
28:45as it goes down the stretch.
28:47He knows that he's going to need to make it happen.
28:49He's got to try and take something out of the tank of Azeem,
28:52but it's a difficult task because Azeem
28:54looks like he's absolutely boiling with energy still.
28:58The snap is still there.
28:59The speed is still there.
29:01The reflexes are still incredibly sharp.
29:08Got phenomenal hand speed, Azeem.
29:11Even now in round eight, he hasn't really dwindled at all.
29:19Come on, come on, come on.
29:25Lovely jab there from Azeem.
29:26Just knocks Davis back onto the heels of his feet.
29:33Lovely left hand there from Azeem.
29:35Threading him through the gap.
29:37Down goes O'Hara Davis.
29:39Mark Lyson continues to count the towel.
29:42I think it's about to come in for Barry Smith.
29:44He's waving the towel and this fight is over.
29:48And that was a cold, merciless display from Adam Azeem.
29:58And the finish when it came
30:03was a split second opening the exploited to the full.
30:10I think that's the best performance of Adam Azeem's career.
30:13That's certainly the best I've seen him.
30:16He looked mature.
30:18Walking down, catching, countering,
30:20sickening the body shots in there.
30:22Brilliant performance.
30:23Yeah, I mean, concentration levels were spot on the entire fight.
30:28He knew that O'Hara Davis has got the experience.
30:31He's fought at a high level.
30:32He's got power.
30:35But it was a great measured performance from him.
30:37And we saw loads of variety round and round.
30:39Even in that final round there, it was so disciplined.
30:42He disciplined it.
30:43He gave himself the space, the time and the breather
30:47to find the finish, essentially.
30:50The fast one, too, and a snappy left hook.
30:52There was no chance O'Hara Davis getting up after that shot.
30:56I think it broke his heart as much as hurt him at that point.
31:03I think you're absolutely right.
31:04At that stage, you could see as he was down on his knees
31:06that really the will to continue had been beaten out of him
31:11because whatever he tried, it just wasn't working.
31:13The nose had gone earlier in the fight.
31:15He'd been hurt to the body.
31:17He'd been systematically beaten up, operated on there by Azeem.
31:25It was a surgical display.
31:28Okay, let's have a look at the final passage here.
31:33There's that lovely crisp jab.
31:42Yeah, good left hook there right round the back of the gloves.
31:44Almost round the ear, landed on O'Hara Davis.
31:48Chopped in the right hand.
31:49Yeah, see it there again, round the back of the glove.
31:54Lovely shot.
31:57It wasn't just the sort of punches coming from Azeem.
32:02I think it was the inability to really land anything on Azeem
32:07which probably broke Davis' heart as much.
32:10Yeah, absolutely.
32:11I mean, there's rounds where Azeem pressed on the front foot
32:15but still with those sharp reflexes making O'Hara Davis miss.
32:20Even when they're sort of sitting in the pocket there together,
32:23they're nose to nose.
32:24And Hodar is trying to counter with his left hook
32:26and Azeem is still seeing it and reading it and rolling under it
32:29and then trying to punch off of it.
32:30And I think in that round, he just gave himself that bit of distance
32:34to see the shot, to pick the shot.