Adam and Hassan Azim are targeting world domination, but the boxing brothers from Slough have two very different approaches in mind.

He is considered one of the brightest young talents in British boxing. Adam’s trainer, Shane McGuigan, expects the fighter to become a world champion within the next two years.

“I want titles soon. I want to be the first Asian, British Pakistani undisputed world champion. When I retire, I want to stay undefeated,” 20-year-old Adam eagerly says.

Hassan, also trained by McGuigan, joined the paid ranks last year. The 21-year-old is undefeated in four bouts, with two stoppages, but is quite happy to learn his trade without the same limelight and fanfare as his brother.

He offers a more considered response when questioned on his career aspirations

“I want to take it one step at a time,” he explains. “Maybe some kind of domestic title next year. It’s the same journey, but a different path.”

How it all started

With a football-loving dad who played for Queens Park Rangers’ Academy, sport was a huge part of the Azim household.

It was younger brother Adam who first laced the gloves after being introduced to boxing in order to channel his hyperactive behaviour.

“I got into boxing was when I was four years old,” he says. “I had bad ADHD and my dad said to me that we need to put it into a sport so it can drain my energy, because every day I’d be banging my head or doing something stupid and then sometimes ending up in A&E.

“I did some boxing stuff at the back of my garage and Dad saw the potential in me. He said you have extremely fast hands and talent.”

Hassan, in contrast to Adam, says he was “lazy” and “more chilled” as a child. At 11 years old, having watched his brother in the gym and having quietly soaked in the basics, he gave boxing a go.

“When I did my first sparring session, nobody had really taught me,” Hassan says. “I had just been watching Adam and other people fight but I managed to pick it up so well.”

Adam won several titles as an amateur and was ranked the number one youth welterweight in the country. Hassan enjoyed his own successes, which included winning bronze at the Youth Olympics.

They both use the same expression to describe going through the start of their boxing journey together – “a blessing.”

“We have been learning together,” Hassan adds. “The mistakes I would make, Adam would learn from. The mistakes Adam would make, I would learn from.”

‘Adam is a freak’ – McGuigan

For two young fighters still in the earliest stages of their careers, the journey they have mapped out is pretty clear.

“The only thing I want is to get those titles and making my family, my team and my trainer proud,” Adam says, before drawing comparisons with American twins and world champions Jermall and Jermell Charlo.

“We’re like the Charlo brothers and how they’re developing,” Adam adds. “One is going at a slower pace and the other at a faster pace, but we’re both knocking people out and giving entertainment.”

The super-lightweight’s blistering hand speed, clinical finishing and impressive work rate has led coach McGuigan to describe him, in the nicest possible way, as “a freak.”

“He can fight at all distances, at range or in close. It remains to be seen how he takes a shot, but he punches so hard that people struggle to take the steps to push him back,” McGuigan adds.

Adam is a showman, a boxer who already understands the importance of entertaining the crowd. At public workouts, he will often showcase his slick foot movement by performing tricks using a skipping rope.

Having stopped his last opponent, Anthony Loffet, in June, Adam celebrated by doing a cartwheel which transitioned into a back flip and then the ‘Siuuu’ celebration made famous by footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

“You want to make it entertaining,” Adam says. “Do stuff that people want to see. They’ve never seen someone skip like me before. Nobody has done the Siuuu in a ring before. I want to attract more people and different people.”

‘It is my duty to protect my brother’

Hassan currently operates at welterweight. Mirroring his personality, his in-ring performances are measured and controlled rather than rushing his work.

“I want to go at my career slowly,” he says. “I want to feel comfortable, enjoy the game and gain the experience.”

While Adam appears to be hogging the headlines, McGuigan says Hassan is not to be underestimated.

“He’s a really talented kid and one of the hardest punchers, pound for pound, that I’ve taken on the pads,” the trainer adds.

Hassan admits Adam’s desire to reach the heights as quick as possible “is taking the pressure off me”, but while he has his own dreams and aspirations, being a big brother trumps everything else.

“I get more nervous watching Adam fight than when I’m fighting,” he says. “I’m his older brother, I was born first in the family. I have a duty to protect my siblings.

“God forbid anything happens to my parents, I’m next in the family so I need to be there for my siblings. To see Adam win is the biggest thing to me. I don’t ever want to see my brother get hurt.”

‘Amir Khan handed us the torch’

Former unified world champion Amir Khan, also a British Pakistani, is one of many ex-professionals tipping the Azim brothers to become worldwide stars.

As youngsters, the pair idolised Khan and were once taken by their dad to watch their hero live in action at the Manchester Arena.

“When I was a kid, I’d get so excited by Amir,” Adam says. “When he was young, he was blowing out people like I am now.”

Hassan adds: “I always wanted to be like Amir Khan. He’s been great to us, passing on his experience and knowledge. To have his support is a huge thing.”

A childhood dream was fulfilled when the Azims featured on Khan’s undercard in February.

Khan’s loss to rival Kell Brook in Manchester turned out to be the last outing of his career, and Hassan feels there is now an opportunity for a new generation of boxers to fly the flag for South Asian communities.

“In some ways, Amir has passed the torch to us now,” he says.

Adam too is already noticing the impact he is having on children and adults – from all backgrounds – in his hometown.

“Every time I go back to Slough, people are taking photos of me,” he says. “I was parking up the other day, some guy stopped his car in the middle of the road, in traffic, to ask me for a picture.

“There are a lot of Asians and Pakistanis, but Khan opened the door for every community. And that’s what I want to do. I want to open the door for everyone.”