Adam Azim guarantees ‘Mayweather vs Gatti masterclass’ towards Franck Petitjean in European title battle | Boxing Information

“Conflict. Ache. Victory.”

That is what European champion Franck Petitjean is promising to ship when he fights Adam Azim on Saturday evening.

Petitjean places his belt on the road when he containers Azim at The Halls in Wolverhampton, stay on Sky Sports activities from 7pm.

His warning for the rising star was clear. Azim’s time might come, however the Frenchman was adamant it will not be now.

“He is the brand new prospect. There’s lots of people on the market who need him to be like Amir Khan,” Petitjean instructed Sky Sports activities.

“I hope he can have a very good profession. However he is by no means met somebody like me. I’ve had a whole lot of fights overseas, Turkey, Senegal, Holland, Poland, Denmark and I like battle. It does not matter to me.

“I am the champion,” Petitjean continued. “He has to return, he has to indicate that he has sufficient to be a European champion.

“I feel the second a part of the battle goes to very troublesome for him. It is going to be my battle.”

He has each intention of dragging Azim right into a battle and grinding him down. Petitjean does not really feel like a person risking his championship. As an alternative he looks like a fighter with one other victory to realize.

“I feel he will have massive stress,” he stated of Azim.

“I’ve nothing to lose,” he continued, earlier than including darkly: “I like this recreation.”

Petitjean, although the reigning champion, has skilled defeat earlier than. That is one thing Azim, who’s solely had 9 professional fights earlier than this, merely can’t ponder.

“He’ll know the pace and the facility, he is not going to return ahead to me,” Azim instructed Sky Sports activities. “He is aware of what it feels wish to lose as properly. He’ll have that mindset the place he does not need to lose once more. Saturday evening I will make him lose once more.”

If Azim is victorious on this, solely his tenth skilled contest, he’ll turn out to be the quickest Briton to win the European championship, beating Spencer Oliver’s file.

But although he is had so few bouts, he believes he is already crushed a better customary of opposition than Petitjean has within the latter’s lengthy profession.

“Each boxer’s going to speak. They need to massive up the battle, it is half and parcel anyway. He is previous. He is been round, within the recreation fairly a very long time. However I do not suppose he is fought the fights that I’ve already fought. He hasn’t fought the calibre of opponents that I’ve,” Azim stated.

“He had a very good win in his final battle [when Petitjean upset Samuel Molina to win the title]. However he will really feel the facility, the pace, every little thing.

“I feel my customary of opposition has all the time been good. I really feel just like the calibre of opponents that he is fought just isn’t that nice.”

Azim has gained expertise with stable victories over Santos Reyes and Aram Faniian this 12 months.

His promoter Ben Shalom is satisfied these 10-round wins are precisely what Azim wanted. He instructed Sky Sports activities: “I feel due to these two fights we will see a profession finest efficiency on Saturday evening. I feel he will set the world alight.

“I feel that is the second that he deserves. Lots of fighters needed to battle for this European belt. He acquired there first, he deserved to get there first. He is doing issues that nobody else is doing at 21 years previous.

“The place’s the following British celebrity? For me Adam Azim is correct on the high of that listing and he’ll be seeking to show that on Saturday evening.”

Azim believes he can deal with any strategy Petitjean takes within the battle.

“If he comes ahead it is a massive mistake. At first if he comes ahead it is a really massive mistake. If he walks into one he is undoubtedly going to really feel it,” the Slough fighter stated.

“I do not see what tactic he is acquired to beat me. The one tactic he is acquired might be to get into my mindset however my mindset’s actually targeted.

“When you’ve got an incredible mindset the battle will probably be good,” he continued. “I am very targeted, very, very targeted.

“I need to present an incredible masterclass on Saturday evening, it will be Arturo Gatti versus Mayweather. It is going to be like that.”

‘Poulsen will not overlook what I do to Petitjean’

If Azim is victorious, he may look to make a defence of the European title. The obligatory challenger could be Enock Poulsen.

Denmark’s Poulsen beat Petitjean over 12 rounds final 12 months and he will probably be ringside in Wolverhampton to look at this championship battle unfold.

“He isn’t going to overlook what I do to Petitjean,” Azim stated. “He took Franck Petitjean the complete rounds so hopefully I will be the one to knock him out.”

Azim’s coach Shane McGuigan identified: “It is a massive assertion from us, pushing him this far so shortly.

“[Petitjean] is a southpaw, he throws good mixtures and he is very powerful,” McGuigan continued. “It is precisely the battle that we would wish. It is an incredible factor to have the ability to have a European title on the top of it.

“He is acquired a method of getting by means of fights, Petitjean. I do know that Adam’s going to harm him. It is whether or not he will end him or not. He has all of the substances to have the ability to end him.”

McGuigan does count on there “to be a component of danger” although.

“You have to put your self within the firing line,” McGuigan stated. “To ship your photographs and look spectacular and knock folks out, it’s a must to stand there. He is acquired loads of that. He is acquired loads of coronary heart.

“He’ll must that at some stage. He won’t have the ability to outspeed all people.

“Finish of 2024, early 2025 we’re combating for a [world] belt. That is the plan. We simply must go on the market and execute it.”

Watch Franck Petitjean vs Adam Azim stay on Sky Sports activities Important Occasion from 7pm