It seems some great matchups, some unification fights get made without anything approaching a fuss or only after one or both sides have made a ton of demands. Case in point, the 112 pound unification fight between rival champions Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards. These two have been on a collision course for a little while and now, as per an announcement from Eddie Hearn, IBF champ Edwards and WBO ruler Rodriguez have signed a contract to fight each other later this year.
The date and venue are still to be confirmed but this is great news. And both undefeated fighters are possibly more excited about the upcoming fight than some of the fans.
“Thank you, Eddie, Matchroom Boxing, and DAZN for believing in the event and working hard to get it over the line,” Edwards wrote on social media upon signing the contract for the fight. “This means more to me than you could know. Looking forward to flying the Great Britain flag in one of the biggest fights in flyweight history.”
Hearn is “Really pleased with this one! One of the best fights in boxing – respect to both!” Hearn wrote.
This is indeed a potentially great fight between a pure boxer in Edwards, 20-0(4) and boxer-puncher Rodriguez, 18-0(11). It will of course be interesting to see where the fight is held – in the UK or in the US (or maybe somewhere else). But for now, fans of the little guys can celebrate, and look forward to a truly meaningful fight between two of the very best lower weight fighters in the world.
You know, Errol Spence and Terence Crawford have shown us that, yes, the best do still fight the best. Rodriguez and Edwards have added additional cement to the proof of it. Now, who wins this fight? Can YOU pick a winner?
27 year old Edwards of Surrey has made four retentions of his IBF title and he is coming off a good win over Andres Campos. 23 year old southpaw Rodriguez, who hails from San Antonio, reigned as WBC super flyweight champion, before he dropped down in weight to capture the WBO belt at 112 with a win over Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez in April.