Dan Azeez savouring successful French mission as he lands European light-heavyweight title

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Dan Azeez admitted that winning the European light-heavyweight belt was made extra special by doing it on foreign soil.

The 33-year-old South Londoner halted Thomas Faure in the 12th round in Paris.

Azeez already holds the British and Commonwealth titles and his first strap was the Southern Area one.

The only belt left to tick off is a world title one with the Lewisham puncher, now 19-0 in the professional ranks, highly ranked by nearly all of the major governing bodies.

There is also the potential for mouth-watering domestic scraps with two of those fighters right on his doorstep. Azeez has sparred with Croydon’s Joshua Buatsi and Crystal Palace’s Craig Richards is another appealing option.

Azeez admitted he had to choke back tears after claiming the vacant European title.

He was a massive 1/20 betting favourite to beat Faure but the tough Frenchman bravely stuck in the contest until the punishment finally took its toll early in the final round.

Referee Anssi Perajoki’s stoppage was impeccably timed with Faure looking defenceless.

“It feels good,” said Azeez, reflecting on being the new European king. “I’ve had to work hard to get to this stage. It’s been belt by belt and opponent after opponent. It just makes it better when I win on away soil and beat a former European champion.

“He’s the French champion but he has held this belt before. It’s adding to the CV, I’ve got a credible CV.”

Azeez boxed on small hall shows at the start of his career. And even after defeating Charlie Duffield for the Southern Area title in 2019, on a Matchroom Boxing show, there was no instant lift off.

Azeez signed a long-term contract with BOXXER in March 2022. Since then he has been one of the promotional company’s leading lights on Sky Sports.

“It’s not just gone my way,” said Azeez. “It’s all hard work – the sacrifices. I have got a good team behind me, good coaches.

“Everything falls into place but it’s not easy, I tell you that now.”

Azeez did not want to leave the outcome resting on the judges’ scorecards – Massimo Barrovecchio, Juergen Langos and Philippe Wouters – despite the fact he looked to have built up a commanding lead.

His piston right hand regularly pumped into the face of Faure, who bled from the nose for much of the contest and also had swelling above his left eye.

“When I was going into the fight I was thinking I can’t leave it in the judges’ hands,” said Azeez. “I’m on away soil, what do I expect? If it did happen to me (being on the end of a bad decision) then I’m not the first and I wouldn’t be the last.

“Buddy (McGirt, trainer) said I was up (on the scorecards) and told me not to take any stupid shots. But I wanted to catch him with a good one and I’m a natural fighter, I wanted to entertain as well.

“If you want to be the best you have got to come out of your comfort zone and go overseas, not everything can be in your favour.

“It’s going to add to my experience and mould me as a fighter.

“I’m just moving steady, steady – step by step. I’ve still got lots of things to work on.

“I’m in a great division – worldwide and domestically. When you talk about the top 10 in the world then about five of us (British boxers) are in there.”

Faure seemed unhappy at the bout being halted.

But BOXXER CEO Ben Shalom said: “I don’t know why they were complaining – Thomas Faure was out. He had been tough and kept coming.

“It was a hostile environment. I was hoping that wouldn’t influence the judges, in the end Dan left them with no choice. It was a great fight.”

PICTURES: CHRIS DEAN/BOXXER