Sunny Edwards (20-1 4 KOs) heads to Phoenix, Arizona this weekend having taken on Jesse Rodriguez in a flyweight unification clash in December just up the road in Glendale. ‘Bam’ came out on top in that tussle and tops the bill against Juan Francisco Estrada on Saturday night, with the Brit providing the chief-support action against fellow former world king Adrian Curiel (24-5-1 5 KOs).
The Mexican claimed the IBF light-flyweight title with a sensational second round KO win over Sivenathi Nontshinga in Monte Carlo in November, but the South African exacted revenge in February in a rematch.
Both men will be looking to bounce back with a win in Phoenix, and Edwards believes defeat to Bam has sharpened his focus and made him hungrier than ever to reclaim his perch at the top of the boxing tree.
“I might have more of a chip on my shoulder,” said Edwards. “I think I’ve lost a bit of complacency that I was getting, the main difference of my mindset into the fight, since I was a world champion I lost the fear and gained an ego. Going away for a training camp, taking two or three sparring partners, taking my coach and another coach, a nutritionist; yes, there’s X, Y, Z of cost for that, but it will always be worth it.
“He’s a former world champion just like me. His fight against Nontshinga in Monte Carlo that he won, he was aggressive he started very fast, he started hurting Nontshinga early, and he got him out of there. It was an impressive win. In the rematch in his hometown, he tried the same but this time he was exhausted by round six or seven, and I wasn’t too surprised when the tide started turning. Anyone that tries to set the pace like that and hasn’t really got God given engines where they don’t really slow down, they’re going to get found out and that’s what happened.
“I genuinely think I could beat Curiel and Nontshinga on the same night. Is he dangerous? Of course. Everyone is. Was I massively impressed? I feel like I’ve been in the ring with far better and I’ve beaten far better. So, it’s a great opportunity for me to put on an impressive performance.”
The Mexican claimed the IBF light-flyweight title with a sensational second round KO win over Sivenathi Nontshinga in Monte Carlo in November, but the South African exacted revenge in February in a rematch.
Both men will be looking to bounce back with a win in Phoenix, and Edwards believes defeat to Bam has sharpened his focus and made him hungrier than ever to reclaim his perch at the top of the boxing tree.
“I might have more of a chip on my shoulder,” said Edwards. “I think I’ve lost a bit of complacency that I was getting, the main difference of my mindset into the fight, since I was a world champion I lost the fear and gained an ego. Going away for a training camp, taking two or three sparring partners, taking my coach and another coach, a nutritionist; yes, there’s X, Y, Z of cost for that, but it will always be worth it.
“He’s a former world champion just like me. His fight against Nontshinga in Monte Carlo that he won, he was aggressive he started very fast, he started hurting Nontshinga early, and he got him out of there. It was an impressive win. In the rematch in his hometown, he tried the same but this time he was exhausted by round six or seven, and I wasn’t too surprised when the tide started turning. Anyone that tries to set the pace like that and hasn’t really got God given engines where they don’t really slow down, they’re going to get found out and that’s what happened.
“I genuinely think I could beat Curiel and Nontshinga on the same night. Is he dangerous? Of course. Everyone is. Was I massively impressed? I feel like I’ve been in the ring with far better and I’ve beaten far better. So, it’s a great opportunity for me to put on an impressive performance.”
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