SUNNY EDWARDS stays intent on securing a struggle towards Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez realizing what a win would do for himself and his legacy within the sport.
The 27-year-old is one of British boxing’s mavericks and is rightly within the debate for being one of the best fighter within the UK and one of the best flyweight on the earth.
On June 10 Edwards fought for the 20th time in his skilled profession which began in Spain towards Sergey Tasimov seven years in the past. The newest triumph got here towards Chilean Andres Campos. Another 12 rounds ticked off for Edwards and the fourth defence of his IBF belt as nicely. It was additionally the primary struggle for Edwards below Matchroom Boxing having signed with them on the finish of March. Promoter Eddie Hearn additionally works with Rodriguez and has been vocal about turning 4 belt holders into one for the 112lbs division.
Prior to the Campos struggle Edwards described his opponent as a “beaten man” on the remaining pre-fight press convention. The Brit was referring to their fiery face-off the day earlier than when Edwards determined to stand up shut and push the buttons of Campos. On struggle evening at Wembley Arena it was a case of job accomplished and on to the subsequent.
“I think it kinda went as I thought it would,” Edwards mentioned when talking to Boxing News on Tuesday.
“I knew he was a dangerous and ambitious young fighter, but I did genuinely believe I always had too much for him. I feel like I put myself in situations and positions more out of sport and practicing rather than every part of me wanting to win. I felt like that was already sort of guaranteed. So, I got in there to work on and learn a few bits.”
Rodriguez is unquestionably the struggle he needs subsequent and over a week in the past it was reported that Eddie Hearn was assured that the unification may very well be signed off within the subsequent two weeks.
“Really aggressively trying to make one of the big-name fights,” Edwards mentioned relating to what’s subsequent.
“Probably the most realistic is Bam Rodriguez. We are in talks but so far some of the demands their team is making is ridiculous. I’m already willing to go to anywhere they want me to. They’re being difficult over little girly things but hopefully that gets rectified. I’m ready for the fight. I don’t need every little bit advantage. They’re looking for ways out of the fight, for angles out of the fight. Stop trying to get a little one per cent, two per cent advantage. It’s pathetic.”
Edwards v Rodriguez will probably happen in America, a nation which has at all times been a fixed ambition for British fighters to struggle in. Years and years of lows have been met with the occasional excessive for the women and men from Blighty. Edwards would probably shake a few timber throughout his time there and his confidence and character could even evoke reminiscences of Prince Naseem Hamed who fought there between 1997 and 2001.
Rodriguez is seen by many as a pound-for-pound expertise, perhaps even a generational one. A fractured jaw didn’t cease the Texan-born southpaw from out-pointing Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez final time out. That win gave him the WBO’s flyweight belt after an excellent breakout yr in 2022 at super-flyweight.
Fighting in America excites Edwards. His character is one that may thrive on such a huge stage and take advantage of out of being the English villain who needs to make and instance out of Rodriguez.
“There’s still ways to go before the fight is made but I’ve been willing to travel, I’ve always been willing to travel,” he mentioned.
“I’m world champion. I would like to journey the world defending and preventing one of the best on the earth.
“Obviously conquering America and having that chapter of my profession is clearly one thing on each British boxing bucket record. The dimension of the occasion, the platform, the profile, what the win would do for me and my legacy, my household identify it’s 100 per cent the struggle that I would like.
“If I’m honest I feel that I’ve faced multiple fighters that are more scarier than a Bam Rodriguez. I genuinely believe that. I feel like a lot of people that have really watched boxing attentively as I have over the last decade or so would probably agree with that as well.”
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