Azim defeats Dane to retain his title
Enock Poulsen outboxed by Slough fighter at Wembley
Adam Azim successfully defended his European super-lightweight championship title against Enock Poulsen on Saturday night, as the Dane was outboxed and counted out after suffering an unfortunate injury at the OVO Arena
Wembley.
Poulsen was previously undefeated in 14 bouts (five knockouts), and a former holder of this title, but that unblemished record took a hit when he experienced a dislocated right shoulder against Azim in the fifth round – the Slough-born boxer extending his own unbeaten record to 11 wins (eight knockouts).
Reflecting on the win to Sky Sports Boxing, Azim said: “It was a good fight. Obviously, Enock Poulsen had to take a knee due to popping his shoulder. It was an unfortunate end because I wanted to take him out how I wanted to but I got the job done, that’s the main thing.”
Azim added: “I didn’t realise that he had done his shoulder when he went down on the canvas. I assumed it came from a punch. I wish him the best recovery.”
Round one saw both fighters establishing their jabs – Azim probing with his left hand and aiming sharp left hooks while Poulsen showcased some fine footwork and kept a safe distance before catching his counterpart with a robust hook to the body.
In the second round, Azim leant on his jab more and often capitalised on his right hand over Poulsen’s low left. Despite trying to go punch-for-punch with Azim, Poulsen remained vigilant and kept up a tight guard.
The match was closely contested in rounds three and four with Azim holding his gloves high and chipping away at Poulsen’s defences. After being warned for a low blow, the 21-year-old tagged his opponent with a firm cross to the head.
Moving into the fifth round, Azim was advised to take his attack up a gear.
And when Poulsen tried to respond to the challenger’s intensity with a right hook, he went down in pain, holding his arm out. The injury he had sustained was one he’s all too familiar with having dislocated his shoulder a concerning three times during his fight against Franck Petitjean in 2022.
Unable to continue fighting and sitting out the count, Azim was awarded a technical knockout victory - the time 2.39.