“Fight plans change. We just remained focused,” asserted Peter McGrail, who will be back in action on December 21. At the Kingdom Arena, the Liverpool-born fighter will face Rhys Edwards. The duo pairs up on the Oleksandr Usyk–Tyson Fury undercard. McGrail must be relieved. Till last week, he had a fight scheduled against Dennis McCann. Unfortunately, the Londoner failed to clear VADA’s anti-doping tests, leading to the bout getting canceled. Following last year’s setback, for McGrail, it was a big opportunity to put his career back on track.

Thankfully, luck was smiling down on him. Days after the reports of the McCann-McGrail fight cancelation emerged, news arrived that the Liverpudlian would continue on the undercard. McGrail now has a chance to mend his record. Though he received the fight offer on short notice, Rhys Edwards will attempt to maintain his unbeaten streak and break new ground in his career. Ahead of their intriguing clash, let’s go through a few details that may shed some light on how the two fighters measure up against each other.

Battle of the Numbers: What Stats Reveal About McGrail and Edwards

Born on May 31, 1996, McGrail is about four years older than Tonypandy, Wales-born Edwards, whose height and weight details are currently unavailable. On the other hand, boasting a height of 5 feet and 7 inches, or 170 centimeters, McGrail records a hand reach of 65 inches or 165 centimeters.

The final weigh-in of the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk card has been scheduled for tomorrow. Nevertheless, details from the fighters’ previous bouts may help provide some context to the matter. Three months ago, when he went against Brad Foster, Peter McGrail registered a weight of 121.5 pounds. Rhys Edwards hit the scales at 125.0 pounds before the Thomas Patrick Ward square-up.

Beginning his professional career three years ago, Peter McGrail enjoys a competitive record of ten wins against a solitary loss. He secured 6 of his victories through knockouts, thus recording a knockout-to-win rate of 60%. Rhys Edwards’s journey started much earlier. He debuted in the 2018 match against Robbie Forster. So far, he has participated in 16 bouts. Edwards has yet to face a defeat. Unlike his opponent, the Welshman hasn’t displayed a proclivity towards early stoppage. Only four of his wins came via knockouts.

McGrail vs. Edwards: Who Has the Advantage on Paper?

With -500 odds in his favor, Peter McGrail emerges as the clear favorite for Saturday night’s bout against Rhys Edwards, the underdog with just a 23% chance of victory. Despite Edwards’s unbeaten record and experience, the disparity in odds may be surprising to many. Does it have something to do with the pedigree and exposure?

Peter McGrail turned professional boxer, leaving behind a stellar amateur record. It includes gold medal-winning performances at the Commonwealth and European stages. Additionally, he displayed superb forms at the World Championships and Youth Olympic Games as well.

A high knockout-to-win rate may be another reason why he edges out the Welsh adversary. An active boxer, McGrail suffered a major upset on the Jesse Rodriguez–Sunny Edwards card last year when the American Ja’Rico O’Quinn knocked him out in the fifth round. But putting the ghosts of the defeat behind him, McGrail scored back-to-back victories, with the September 28 engagement against Brad Foster ending in a second-round knockout win.

Though the number of fights in 2020 and 2021 dwindled to a bare minimum, Rhys Edwards subsequently caught up and returned to a packed itinerary that saw him entering the ring two to three times every year. There might be a few concerns nevertheless. Edwards’ last early stoppage came during the 2019 fight against Stefan Sashev. Then there’s the problem of exposure as well. It will be the first time that the Welsh boxer will be fighting outside Great Britain. McGrail, on the other hand, has a record that includes fights on distant shores.

Style breakdown

Peter McGrail had this hunch: the promoters and show organizers would eventually come up with a plan for him to fight on the undercard. So he seemed quite prepared for the new matchup. He said, “I stayed focused on the job. The job remains the same. I’m coming for the big performance on Saturday.”

The Liverpudlian doesn’t hesitate from close-quarter square-ups. Despite receiving hits or bleeding, he often goes Mexican, pressing on with the charge. Gifted with admirable footwork, he relies on linear movement. He doesn’t bob or weave that much, though.

At the opposite corner, McGrail will find an opponent who is more than willing to trade shots in the center. A technical slickster, who bobs and weaves before throwing a much preferred lead hand hook, Edwards has the potential to take McGrail the full distance.

Rhys Edwards accepted the fight barely five days ago. Given that he currently ranks thirteenth in WBA’s featherweight rankings, he might be looking forward to improving his standing through a big win. The situation reflects Peter McGrail’s circumstances. He aims for a world title in the near future. So he will have to step in with utter caution against a fighter who has basically nothing to lose.

What are your takes? Do you think Peter McGrail will announce his arrival and make a statement with a big win on Saturday night?