“A WORLD title, one million per cent, God willing,” Hamza Uddin, the pocket powerhouse from Walsall, declared matter-of-factly.
It was a sentence said with too much belief to be a prediction. There was too much conviction for that.
In the 21-year-old’s eyes, it is merely a fact waiting to happen.
“That’s the minimum. If that’s all I achieve, I’ll be disappointed,” Hamza said. “Double world champion, I want my name number one on the pound-for-pound list.”
The all-conquering amateur strives not to merely conquer the world, but gain legendary status.
And there are a growing number of fight figures and followers who believe the game has gained someone very special in Uddin, a flyweight who hits with middleweight force.
Every generation spawns an exceptional talent, boxers such as Prince Naseem, Calzaghe, Lennox Lewis.
This is Hamza Uddin’s time, they argue.
It is still early days, but to date Uddin has backed his words with eye-catching deeds. On Saturday’s major Matchroom show at Resorts World, he cruised to 5-0 as a pro by slicing apart Leandro Jose Blanc with the precision of a surgeon.
The Argentinian isn’t a bad fighter, his record of eight wins in 10 going into the contest suggested he was a good fighter.
Blanc was a former Olympian, South American professional light-flyweight champ and Argentinian flyweight titleholder.
Yet he was outclassed, outboxed, then overwhelmed by Uddin, referee Ryan Churchill stepping in as Blanc reeled from a barrage of unanswered punches.
“I beat him for every second of every round,” Hamza said. That’s not a boast, it’s a fact.
“It was my best performance and I think it was the best performance of the show. I think, on ability, I’m ready (for a title fight). I’ve been ready before now, before I even turned over.
“But there’s a process to go through, there’s no rush. Once we go up (to the top), we don’t want to go down.”
The weight of expectation is building on Uddin’s shoulders and, the prospect insists, making him stronger. He revels in the spotlight and soaks-up the superlatives.
“Before this, my last couple of fights went to points,” he said. “People expect me to knock people out – how many flyweights are expected to do that?
“I’ve lived with pressure for so long, it’s normal. I put more pressure on myself than other people do.
“I was made for this. I achieved as an amateur, but didn’t have the typical amateur style. I always felt the pro game was for me and I’ll be doing 12 rounds no problem.”
Uddin is a young man with a big following. He has no doubt those fans are on a journey to world title glory.
For Hamza, however, the world is not enough.
