BOXING: Azzaoui Eyes World Belt

Northland's Mohamed Azzaoui has moved to within one fight of a World Boxing Association cruiserweight title challenge after outpointing African Alori Mensah. The clinical victory means Azzaoui's handlers now begin to organise the final hurdle before the title challenge who will almost certainly be the Latin American champion, Panama's Luis Pineda. ``He's a very good boxer but he's a bit shorter (than Mensah), so we've already started looking around for some sparring partners for Mohamed that fit that mould,'' Kerikeri trainer Anthony Warren said. ``Fighting a shorter boxer means you have to use different techniques and he'll be coming in a lot closer so we have to change our way of fighting,'' he said. Warren is hopeful the fight will be set up for November, meaning Azzaoui would continue his training schedule in preparation. ``We're still not too sure where it will be yet, it could easily be in Europe, so we'll go where it's going to cost us the least amount of money,'' he said. He isn't ruling out the contest being held in New Zealand, saying that is one of several options open to the promoters. ``Quite often the fighters like to come down here because it's a bit different and of course it suits us to fight in our own climate,'' he said. Azzaoui proved his speed and endurance in the ring on Friday against Mensah, who was a bit of an unknown quantity, at the Auckland Boxing Association Stadium. ``You always have to be prepared to change your approach when you don't really know what you are up against...we just knew he was good,'' Warren said. The 30-year-old Pan Asian champion was much quicker than his opponent but what he lacked in speed, the South African made up for in strength. Azzaoui outboxed his opponent from the opening bell, by drawing him close and making him miss and then scoring with the counter punch. However it soon became apparent that knocking the African champion down was not going to be easy. ``Mensah isn't the African champion for nothing and he showed how tough he was,'' Warren said. ``We knew after the first four rounds that it was going to be a long slog, Mohamed got in a few hard punches but they didn't seem to have much effect, so we decided to box it out and score points.'' The African began to tire in the final three rounds of the 12-round bout but Azzauoi was content to keep his points lead.