“Real fights only, put me straight back in the deep end” – In defeat a defiant Sunny Edwards spells out what he wants going forward

SUNNY EDWARDS remains to be upbeat about his future regardless of struggling a first profession loss at the palms of Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.

The two gifted flyweights put their unbeaten data and respective belts on the line in a excessive-stakes contest at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona final evening (December 16).

Plenty of verbal exchanges had taken place between each males throughout battle week including to the anticipation of what would happen in the ring.

Both introduced out the finest in each other however after 9 rounds of absorbing motion which magnified one another’s ability ranges it was the harm inflicted by Rodriguez that gained the day. A bloodied, bruised, and swollen-eyed Edwards couldn’t make it out for the 10^th spherical together with his coach Grant Smith having seen sufficient significantly after his fighter was dropped closely in the few seconds left of the earlier body.

Edwards spoke to Boxing News a number of hours after the battle to look back on the greatest evening of his seven-12 months profession.

“Maybe my pride’s hurt a little bit but it’s a boxing ring and a lot can happen. Bam, great fighter. It weren’t my night tonight.”

Responding to stories that he visited hospital for some remedy he mentioned: “It was just my [left] eye. There was damage to my eye and [when] I got to the hospital, they confirmed it. That’s all it was. Rest of my body; hands, legs, head, everything feels great but just this eye.”

The fame of Edwards has been constructed on making opponents miss and utilizing his elusiveness to frustrate and finally outclass the earlier 20 foes who’ve tried to unravel his puzzles. However, the fixed educated strain of Rodriguez compelled Edwards to face and commerce and present a completely different however succesful facet of him.

“Whether or not I was forced to [fight] I feel like there was times when I knew trying to do what I wanted to do was getting me beat,” he mentioned.

“I was losing rounds and with the conversations we had in the corner it was go big or go home at that time. And I thought I had a decent round until getting put down. At that point I feel like my vision wasn’t where I needed it to be. Grant was already a bit on to me about his opinion on the fight and my face more so. Grant made the decision and here we are.”

Edwards advised BN he had no complaints with the determination to drag him out of the battle.

“Getting dropped quite heavy I knew I was skating on thin ice with how much I could see out my left eye against a very, very good fighter that was on the ascendancy. Grant pulled the fight and no complaints for me. For the first time I was honest with him and said, “Grant, I can’t see.”

Shortly after the defeat Edwards wasted no time in chatting with promoter Eddie Hearn about the future. One that won’t essentially be at flyweight the place he reigned as IBF belt holder since dominating Moruti Mthalane in April 2021.

“I feel like I’ve got loads of options genuinely,” he mentioned.

“I know I can make it (light-flyweight) comfortably. It’s where I could drop down and look to fight. I think I’m held in good regard with the IBF. There’s probably a much bigger purse availability with someone like me that’s already been built up, been in big events, headlined and can sell and market a fight quite well. I could do that. Depending on what Bam does if he’s gonna stay or go up there’s options still down here at flyweight. I’d go anywhere so for me I feel like everything’s an option.”

“Real fights only,” he added. “I don’t need tick-overs. Put me straight back in the deep end and I’ll go again. Losing to one great fighter don’t make me feel any less of a great fighter. I feel like on a different day things could have gone a different way. I know how I felt in there today. I don’t think I was completely outclassed. Things just didn’t go right for me on the night, and they needed to.”