Last night, Sunny Edwards started hard at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale in a fight that kept spectators on their feet. However, his opponent, 19-time undefeated Jesse Rodriguez, slowly broke him down before flooring Edwards with his first career loss. With a 9th-round retirement and significant scarring to his face, Sunny Edwards lost the IBF World Flyweight title to his Texan opponent.
With a deep gouge over his right eye and a significant cut to his left, the English fighter could hardly see by the end of the fight. While the arena cheered for the unified champion, they also saw the spirit with which Edwards pulled through until he couldn’t. In his first loss, fans continued to rally behind him.
Sunny Edwards Wins Hearts, If Not the Titles
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Post the fight, Edwards, while speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, said, “I just couldn’t see. From the second round, my eye was completely blurry and from about round six I got cut. It was getting hard in there, more through the vision.” A picture posted by boxing insider, Michael Benson, sourced from Edwards’ X account shows the 27-year-old having sustained severe injuries on his face, mainly his eyes. However, fans were quick to jump to his side, showering him with warm regards and respect for the way he fought. A fan emerged in respect for the fighter’s stoic character, showing no signs of bitterness.
And yet no crying! What a man.
— Robina Wills 🌻 (@RobinaWills) December 17, 2023
Chiming in, another fan too saw the fighter for his sheer effort to have gone through the nine rounds, and fighting until he could not anymore.
Big respect to @SunnyEdwards showed massive heart and determination. Dared to be great!
— Harley (@harleyjp95) December 17, 2023
The praises did not stop. A user thought Edwards fought “like a man.”
Man took the beating well and had no excuses and fought like a man
— Lachie Willson (@WillsonLachie) December 17, 2023
“Still a great fighter” but it was ‘Bam’s night, suggested another user.
Still a great fighter. There’s always someone a little better out there.
— John Grant (@gra24685269) December 17, 2023
It was indeed an entertaining fight that went down between the two forces. A fan concluded that both of them gave their best, but it was Edwards who took the hard beating. However, the fan was glad that he signaled his corner to throw in the towel before his injuries worsened.
Glad he told his corner to alert the ref to stop the fight .. took enough punishment from Bam Bam .. they really gave us an entertaining fight!
— Freddy .. (@FreddyMothoa) December 17, 2023
Last night’s clash between Edwards and Rodriguez gave fans enough excitement to have made their night. Despite his stellar victory, the winner of the bout acknowledged what his opponent brought to the ring.
Bam praises Sunny Edwards
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Ahead of the fight, an offensive verbal clash ensued between the two fighters. However, once the fight had taken its course, and a winner had emerged, mutual respect between them flourished. While Edwards was being tended to in his dressing room, his opponent, now a two-title winner, came in bearing kind words. He said, “I’d love to get some sparring in with you.” Furthermore, he mentioned how quick and smart his opponent was. He noted, “… He was a lot quicker than I thought; a lot smarter than I thought . … I made him wanna fight … He got caught.”
Also Read: World Champion Sunny Edwards Decides to Wear Promoter’s Hat for the Upcoming EBU Title Fight
Last night’s clash made one thing clear. Both Edwards and Rodriguez are fighters who hold immense caliber in them to dominate the sport soon. While Bam powers through hereon, Edwards will have to heal and start over. But with the resilience he showed last night, there are no doubts that he’ll do so in no time.
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What do you think of Sunny Edwards’ performance last night? Let us know in the comments section below.
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