In an unexpected firefight between two unbeaten world champions stateside, it was two-weight titlist Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez who landed the heavier shots behind his piercing jab and eventually scored an impressive stoppage win over Britain’s Sunny Edwards on Saturday night to unify WBO and IBF gold at 112lbs.
Bam brings out fire in Sunny to remain on top
R9, 3:00 – Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez bt. Sunny Edwards via corner retirement
23-year-old talent unifies IBF and WBO world flyweight titles in style
- Bam post-fight: “I worked my ass off for this, knew it was gonna come and only a matter of time. He was a lot more difficult, smarter and quicker than I thought but you saw what happened. Feels good to hold these belts, felt him slowing down a little bit after round three or four, but he’s a hell of a fighter not used to getting hit that much, I brought that out of him.”
- 23-year-old Texan also confirms during interview he wants a move back up to super-flyweight, where he previously reigned as WBC world champion with two successful defences in a memorable 2022 campaign
- Now-former IBF champion Sunny Edwards concedes he lost to the better man on the night, but reveals he suffered with double vision from round two onwards, which would’ve drastically changed his tactical plans
- The pair had a combined 38-0 unbeaten record heading into Saturday night’s headliner from Arizona’s Desert Diamond Arena, Bam’s punching power proved decisive in the middle rounds as confidence naturally rose
“If Bam doesn’t stop Sunny, the doctors may do it themselves,” was the declaration in DAZN’s commentary booth and ten seconds later, a sweet counter left-hand faceplanted Edwards – as he threw a left of his own – to finish what proved another assertive Rodriguez round. A shot he didn’t see, mercifully the end was near.
It was the crescendo a fight of this magnitude needed, but one few predicted given how risk-averse Edwards has proven to be en route to four world title defences and five championship contests since the start of 2021. If it’s not broken, why try fixing it?
Well, after a fight week where he accused Rodriguez of doping without giving evidence and was determined to stop the 23-year-old’s rise from being catapulted further at his expense, the talkative Brit’s stock has surged 48 hours after defeat.
That he didn’t quit when the going got tough, when it would’ve been an easy and very sensible option to do so. He threw with reckless abandon and dismissed the boxing fundamentals that have served him so well in his career, standing toe-to-toe with a hard-hitting puncher and willingly trading in the pocket, whether wise or not.
That plan didn’t age well but he was forced into it, there’s no shame in that.
“I couldn’t see or move away from his lead hand after the second round. Jesse is a hell of a fighter, I knew before, during and sure as hell now.
I had success in half of the rounds but was getting outworked, my corner pulled me and Grant [Smith, head trainer] has had me since I was 18, if he says that [I can’t continue] then I can’t, couldn’t see out of my right or left eye.”
The fight itself
Bam boasted a seven-inch reach advantage over Edwards and it comes as no surprise to know his team wanted him to utilise his jab at distance, not being lulled into close quarters without good reason.
Edwards was unhappy and complained to referee Chris Flores plenty in round one about Bam repeatedly firing low body punches, but with high trunks, the official wasn’t going to intervene.
The aforementioned discrepancy in reach was being nullified well enough through three minutes as the Brit countered upon occasion, though you had to wonder how long it would last at that pace.
Then came the second stanza, Rodriguez catching him clean early on with a few head punches and landed a nice one-two combination before they had a back-and-forth exchange midway through the round. Bam’s jab work was being rewarded little-by-little, as you saw swelling under Edwards’ right eye and that would soon be targeted.
Into the third and by this stage, it was clear Edwards’ defensive qualities had been abandoned for the night. All too comfortable boxing at mid and short-range, Bam’s jab continued to ping off his head and while the older man was being sneaky with body shots, then dirty boxing in the clinch, he was second best.
He fared better in the fourth, countering well with the left hand and keeping the WBO champion from overextending – smiling momentarily after making him miss, as if to show he’d found his range now.
Sunny’s dirty boxing continued in the fifth, much to the Arizona crowd’s displeasure before Bam enjoyed a big sequence midway through the round.
Head-body-head shots landed after he bobbed and weaved up close, probably edging another competitive round. Bam caught Edwards off balance with a big left to start round six, before they exchanged power shots.
Bam to the body, Sunny to the head, and it was a dangerous place to be as this became increasingly gruelling, not the chess match everyone braced themselves for.
Bam threw a furious 12-punch combo with Edwards pinned up against the ropes and while a lot of those shots hit the gloves, it was an unanswered flurry and the visual rather said it all really.
Confident enough to start trash-talking afterwards too, Sunny stung him as Bam had his hands down low to finish the round but the damage was already done and the visitor’s corner berated him too.
Power punches through six rounds
Bam: 88-152 (58%)
Sunny: 53-148 (36%)
Why would you stand-and-trade? They didn’t know their charge was compromised to the point he deemed a firefight was the only available solution.
Into the seventh and Bam’s jab continued to find its mark before a sneaky left hurt Edwards too. He briefly returned fire in the corner but was stung badly with little over a minute left of the round and if he wasn’t before, Rodriguez was running away on the judges’ scorecards now.
The doctor and referee both looked at Edwards’ cut eye between rounds and Bam stalked him in the eighth, a big left on the inside and left-right combos rocking the Briton on the spot as you could see the 27-year-old finally starting to take a backwards step. That served as blood in the water for Bam to find a knockout.
Lefts, rights, uppercuts and just simply teeing off on the Sheffield-based boxer, you could see any respect he might’ve had for the punch power fizzing his way had gone.
“Don’t get lazy with your defence, Estrada is watching ringside so go call him out next afterwards,” was the audible instruction from trainer Robert Garcia, adding fuel to the fire that this would soon be over.
Edwards’ face was being compared to that of a car crash victim before the ninth began, as he had yet another doctor assessment and the power-punch stat graphic flashed up again.
through R8
Bam: 152-252 (60%)
Edwards: 68-206 (33%)
Although guilty of being overzealous in certain moments, Rodriguez exercised patience and the finish was worth waiting for.
More analysis to follow shortly…
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via DAZN broadcast
Mo and Sports 