It is becoming more apparent that a fight between Adam Azim and WBC junior welterweight champion Dalton Smith will be the first major rivalry of a new era.

Azim (15-0, 12 KOs) will box Gabriel Valenzuela (32-5-1, 18 KOs) on December 4 at London's Copper Box Arena, live on DAZN worldwide. The tough Mexican looks to provide Azim with a career-toughest test knowing victory will move him up the IBF rankings into prime position for a title shot, which currently lies vacant.

Nonetheless, at Wednesday's press conference to promote the fight, more time was spent talking about a future clash with Smith than the clear and present danger provided by Valenzuela. Azim knows the questions are inevitable but is currently focused on securing his own world title belt first.

"Of course. It's one of the biggest showdowns in England so you can fire away and ask me any questions about him but I've got Gabriel Valenzuela who I'm not looking past," he said on the dais when Smith was mentioned.

"But once I win a world title, I want Ben [Shalom, his promoter] to call Eddie [Hearn, Smith’s promoter] the next day and say, 'Make that fight happen.'"

Azim and Smith (20-0, 14 KOs) have been mentioned in the same breath for so long that it is regularly forgotten that Azim is the younger man by five years.

He has been slowly but surely guided into position by Boxxer and beating Valenzuela would complete a solid 12 months’ work for the 24-year-old.

In November 2015 he scored a 12th round stoppage of Kurt Scoby and on May 30, he looked outstanding when taking apart Steve Claggett in three rounds.

Smith’s 2026 campaign meanwhile should make him a contender for Fighter of the Year honors.

On January 10 he traveled to Brooklyn, New York and stopped Subriel Matias in the sixth round of a shootout to become the WBC champion. Injury saw their original June 6 date shelved but he recovered and four months later boxed to a split decision win over mandatory challenger Alberto Puello on October 10.

He ends the year ranked as No. 1 contender for Shakur Stevenson's 140-pound Ring crown, while being given the grace for a voluntary defense early next year. Azim respects Smith's achievements but insists he hasn't seen anything during those two performances to make him think the Sheffield man is out of reach.

"Not really. The fight against Subriel Matias, I’ll give it to him to go there [and win was impressive] but he had to go neck and neck with him for the past six rounds. Look how tired and hurt he was getting," he said.

"The two shots that he threw, look, anything can happen in boxing but he had to grit it out. But then the fight against Puello, he wasn't too active. If you're a world class fighter, anyone with world class experience needs to put the pressure on Puello and he didn't do that.

"I thought it was a very close fight, but I think, by two rounds, I had Puello winning."