Sunny Edwards Plots Path To World Title – Galal Yafai Next Then Winner of Teraji v Rosales

Sunny Edwards has revealed his plans to become a two-time world champion, with aims to fight British rival Galal Yafai before the end of the year followed by a showdown with the winner of Kenshiro Teraji’s fight against Cristofer Rosales.

Edwards (21-1-0 4 KO) held the IBF’s flyweight world title for more than two years, making five defenses after winning the belt by defeating Thomas Essomba in August 2020. However, the English fighter suffered his first defeat at the hands of pound-for-pound star Jesse Rodriguez in December last year.

Edwards bounced back by easing past Adrian Curiel in June when he was well clear on the scorecards before the fight was stopped in the ninth round due to a nasty cut on his head.

‘Showtime’ is seeking at least one more fight in 2024 and revealed he is in talks to take on former Olympic gold medalist and friend Yafai (7-0-0 5 KO), who has held the WBC’s international title since winning the belt on his debut.

Should Edwards defeat Yafai, he is then targeting a shot at the winner of WBC champion Teraji’s bout with Rosales – a fight that has not yet been announced but is expected to be soon.

“Everyone knows the fight they’re trying to make,” Edwards told BoxingScene. “Former [amateur] opponent, Olympic gold medallist, Galal Yafai, and after that it looks like the only really logical explanation would be the winner of Kenshiro Teraji versus Cristofer Rosales. That looks like my two next fights, and I’d be happy.

“After coming off a loss against the best fighter in the division – top five, pound for pound – going against a former world champion in Curiel, then Olympic gold medallist in Galal, then it’s a world champion in Rosales or Teraji. I just want the challenges.

“I don’t need a perfect record or for everyone to think I’m good at boxing. I just need to find a ring to go and fight in. They’ve mentioned November; they’ve mentioned one place where they want it.

“We haven’t got to the nitty gritty of getting things over the line just yet – I’m not sure what the hold up is; hopefully sooner rather than later… – [but] he’s the only name that has been mentioned to me. Which is fine by me.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sunny Edwards (@sunnyedwards)

Edwards and Yafai know each other well from their days in the amateurs when both fighters were part of the Team GB program. Reflecting on those years, Edwards believes he was denied opportunities he feels he deserved; despite beating Yafai, it was Yafai instead of Edwards who competed in several high-profile tournaments and earned a place on the Olympic squad for Tokyo 2020, where he won a gold medal and launched his career.

“After my four months on the squad I made a very quick and obvious observation of what was going on around me. A fighter that I had beat no less than six months ago had been sent to five different tournaments, WSB internationals – five – while I was waiting for my first trip out of the blocks,” Edwards, 28, said.

“From that moment I felt like the system was against me. ‘Another place where my face don’t fit.’ It happened on England as well. But winning the ABAs, and in my opinion dancing on everyone in sparring, I thought would be enough to [overcome] those forces against me.

“Even though Galal’s a friend of mine, and I do actually like him, the moment he turned over, the message from me has been simple. ‘Whenever they’re ready for the fight, they’ll get it, because that’s my Olympic gold medal on his head. That I should have had and never got the opportunity, because my face didn’t fit.’”