Seven up! Hamza Uddin collects another national title belt

The 19-year-old defended his senior elite title to take his number of national championships to seven.

He became the youngest ever two-time senior winner after he outpointed fellow national champion Hassan Abu in the under-51kg final.

“I am still on cloud nine, it was an amazing feeling," said the Walsall-based fighter. “We have been talking about it for so long, so to win it and make history as well is mad – I never expected that when I was a little kid.

“My siblings were there, and it was a proud moment for the whole family.”

Uddin, whose alias is Fearless, was narrowly denied a knockout victory in the penultimate round after he sent his opponent to the canvas with a left hook.

He said: “I dropped him pretty hard, and his legs were wobbly, so I thought to myself, 'this is the national final, let's get it done early like I did last year', but to be fair to him, he was hard as nails and took some really big shots.

“He did manage to survive and I’m not a brawler, so I wasn’t going to stick it on him.

"I just got back to my boxing and being disciplined, you don’t need to go in fifth gear when you’re comfortable in third.”

Uddin would settle for another unanimous decision victory after he bested Lucas Dube and Aman Ghulam in the quarter and semi-final respectively.

He was compared to Prince Naseem Hamed by commentators, who likened Uddin’s pound-for-pound punch power and ability to create angles to the boxing legend.

Uddin is flattered by the comparisons and believes it means he is doing something right, even if he is determined to create his own legacy.

“I am honoured to be compared to Prince Naseem – he is someone I have watched and dreamt of being like," he added. “When I was a little 11-year-old kid I had the leopard print shorts.

"Of course I want to create my own reputation, but I am well happy being compared to Naz.

"As you can see in my style, I do take a lot of influence from Naz, but I want to be the next one that influences little kids.

"There are kids in the gym already saying 'I want to be the next Hamza Uddin' already and I have only achieved a fraction of what I want to.

“I hope by the end of my career I will have paved the way for a massive number of young Asian boys and girls.

"I want to be the frontrunner, leading the next generation."

Uddin boxes out of Fearless Amateur Boxing Club in Walsall under the tutelage of father and trainer, Raj Uddin.

“For some people, the father and son dynamic doesn’t work, but for me, he is the biggest reason why I have been so successful," added Hamza. “Our relationship isn’t just in the gym, it’s at home as well so even with my diet, he's always pushing me."

The title win ensured Uddin continued his fantastic start to 2023, he secured his place on the Team GB academy squad at the start of the year.