Eddie Hearn predicts trouble ahead for WBO flyweight champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KOs) in his unification fight against unbeaten IBF champ Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) when they meet four months from now, December 16th at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The Rodriguez vs. Edwards card will be shown live on DAZN.
On paper, this is a mismatch in favor of the 23-year-old Bam Rodriguez. He’s younger, faster, and more powerful than Edwards.
Hearn is really high on the proud 27-year-old Edwards, who isn’t shy about bragging about himself to anyone with a bit of time and has an ear to listen to him boast.
Eddie believes that Sunny will “terrorize” ‘Bam’ Rodriguez on December 16th, but he doesn’t say in what way. Edwards isn’t much of a puncher, and if he’s going to create terror inside the ring against Bam, it’ll be with his slick style by trying to make him look bad.
Edwards will need to look a lot better against Rodriguez than he did in his last fight against Andres Campos last March because he was horrible in that fight and barely won.
The judges had it wide for Edwards, scoring it 117-111 x 3, but it looked like a fight that was decided by a couple of rounds at best.
If Sunny gets knocked out by Bam, Hearn is going to need to figure out what to do with him. Maybe move him down to 108 if he can make that weight.
Eddie Hearn: “Yeah, the schedule, more added tonight. Obviously, we’ve got [Leigh] Wood vs. [Josh] Warrington coming up Taylor-Cameron, but this one the best fights of the year pound-for-pound unquestionably,” said Hearn to Matchroom Boxing.
“The best fighting and the best. Bam Rodriguez has established himself as a pound-for-pound top fighter, in my opinion, and this man [Sunny Edwards] can be, will be, wants to be, and no fear from him. Straight out to America.
“I said ‘San Antonio,’ it doesn’t matter. We took this fight to the West Coast in Phoenix in December. It’s a chance for him to go and be a star,” said Hearn bout Edwards. “They’re going to love him in the States.
“Britain’s going to be behind him, but this is what we should be applauding, really. British world champions say, ‘Home or away, it doesn’t matter; give me the biggest fights in boxing.’ He’s going to terrorize this guy.
“The press conference is going to be coming up.
Sunny Edwards: “He [Bam Rodriguez] should be here now. He didn’t fly over; he didn’t come over a few weeks ago for my fight [against Andres Campos last June].
“I know he’s running scared. He doesn’t want to hear what I have to say to him. He don’t want to get in the ring with me, but like I said, he’s been backed in the corner. Me joining you, Eddie was the final nail in his coffin. I think his world title reigns over, but I do think he’ll come again.”
