Edwards Needs KO to Establish Flyweight Dominance
IBF World Flyweight title on the Line in Dubai
British boxer Sunny Edwards is the top-ranked flyweight in the world, but there is some pressure on the favorite.
His last six fights have gone the distance, and although there’s nothing wrong with a unanimous decision victory, he’ll want a knockout.
Boxing betting markets have him favored to beat Muhammad Waseem, who is ranked 10th in the world, on Saturday
Bigger Fights in Mind
Edwards has bigger fights on the horizon, including a unification bout against Julio Cesar Martinez.
Firstly, he must get past a tricky fighter but he was dominant against Moruti Mthalane, which is an excellent form guide.
It was a four-star fight and he cruised home for the decision victory before beating Jayson Mama in an easier fight in Dubai last year.
There hasn’t been much talk about this fight. Most of the attention has come for the possible Edwards vs. Martinez bout, which dominated the press.
“Before [the Chocolatito] fight 90% of the people thought Martinez would knock me out, now it’s annoying because it’s about a 50-50 split,” Edwards told RingTV.
“I wanted to be the massive underdog; I relish that. He’s extremely talented in knocking people out and I’m extremely talented at beating people over 36 minutes of disciplined boxing. We’re both great at what we do.”
Edwards admitted to not being a knockout puncher, but Waseem is there for the taking. He will be hunting for the big blow to send a message to Martinez.
Bettors should expect the sportsbook to have skinny odds around Edwards to win.
Waseem and Edwards Meet Again
It might have happened a few years ago, but Edwards and Waseem have met before.
It came when Waseem was contesting for the IBF title and Edwards was an up-and-comer, but that had no impact on the result of the sparring session.
They sparred for eight rounds, and according to Edwards, he gave Waseem a touch up.
“I jumped straight into a boxing ring and handed him his arse,” Edwards said. “All the onlookers including his coach, Danny Vaughan, pulled me aside a few days later and said I gave them goose bumps with what I can do in a boxing ring.”
Waseem will need to get that out of his mind as he fights for the IBF title again. The first title shot came against Moruti Mthalane, who Edwards has since beaten easily.
He has rebounded with four consecutive wins since the 2018 defeat, but they have come against no-name fighters. Waseem needs to rediscover his best form to be competitive, but we’re not sure he’s at that level.
His most recent victory came against Rober Barrera, who is a two-star fighter. He only narrowly escaped with the win after two judges scored the fight 115-114, 115-113.
Boxing odds are giving Waseem little chance of winning and we’d have to agree. He is past his best and he would need to land a lucky blow to cause an upset.
