Sunny Edwards 20-1 (4) is proof that you can sometimes win more fans in losing than winning.
The former IBF flyweight champion dropped his world title to WBO counterpart Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez 19-0 (12) at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona on December 16.
After four closely contested rounds American southpaw Rodriguez, 23, settled into his groove, increasingly opening up on the 27-year-old Brit and busting up his face.
In the eighth round Edwards wore a hellacious shot that sent him to the canvas. He beat the count but retired on his stool under his corner’s advice.
The scores at the time of the stoppage were 87-83, 87-83 and 89-81, all in favour of Rodriguez.
Edwards had to put his boxing in his back pocket early in the fight after damage to his left eye affected his vision. He showed great skill to trade in the pocket but was ultimately overwhelmed by Rodriguez’s superior firepower.
“I’ve probably had more positive comments losing in a good fight than I have from winning all my boring fights,” Edwards told Boxing News.
“It meant something being part of an event that people genuinely cared about. Either side, they really wanted me to win or they really wanted Bam to win or they really wanted to find out how the fight went.
“Every other time I’ve boxed, there’s been something happening in boxing that night bigger and I felt like that week, especially that fight night, I feel like it kind of took over the boxing world. And rightfully so. When two young fighters put up their ‘O’s and their world titles, everything is up for stake, it should be celebrated as it was.”
“I grew up and come through seeing flyweight world champions fighting at 7:30, 8:00 [pm] on the undercard of a big night’s boxing.
“I’ve now become the big nights of boxing and I’ll do everything I can do be there again and again and again. Spoke to [Matchroom Boxing’s] Eddie [Hearn] and Frank Smith, they’re on the same page as me. They think my stock has risen. They think more people want to see me fight than ever and ever before.
“Also they know I’m a very easy person to make a fight with. I’m very professional, I turn up, I do everything that is asked of me, I do more than what is asked of me, really, so I’m looking forward to the future. I still feel like there’s years and years and years ahead of me, achievements and accolades.
“Genuinely being a part of an event that the boxing world felt that’s what I seek. That’s what I again and again go after.
“I just want the fights that people actually care about happening because for pretty much 19 of my fights, 20 of my fights maybe, it was the Sunny Edwards show and people didn’t really care because they were expecting me to win, do you know what I mean?”
