Family opposition won’t distract former world champion

A BUILD-UP to a fight normally centres on the two fighters who will climb through the ropes looking to knock each other out.

How the fight came about, the fighter’s personalities, their careers and predictions all play their part in the weeks, days and hours before the first bell. Occasionally, however, there is a storyline which puts itself into the middle of it all and packs its own punch which becomes the focus of attention.

On Friday night [September 27] Charlie Edwards will challenge European bantamweight champion Thomas Essomba at York Hall, live on Channel 5. Edwards, a former WBC flyweight world champion, is the older brother of Sunny – a former IBF flyweight world champion. Essomba vs. Edwards features a unique plot twist, however, because along with his own boxing career Sunny has dipped his toes into the managerial side of the sport and one of his clients is… Thomas Essomba.

While the thought of his brother in the opposition corner has slightly touched a nerve, Charlie Edwards has his head in the game and appears fully focused for the second fight with new trainer Stephen Smith.

“It’s a new belt for me, which is for my legacy and my trophy cabinet at home,” he tells Boxing News

“It’s a belt that I really desire and want to put inside of it. Albeit, my brother’s in the away corner, and he’s actually choosing to side with Thomas in this fight.”

Edwards chatted to BN over Zoom just a couple of weeks out from his 21^st fight well aware that his brother in the supporting cast to the two leading men is a talking point. The 31-year-old spoke at length, moving between the European title fight and Sunny’s spot in all of this.

“We all know we’ve had our little back and forwards in the past, but I thought it was squished under the carpet,” he says.

Charlie admitted that this fight was one he personally wanted. This wasn’t presented to him as an option, for example, after his points win over Georges Ory in April. Facing Essomba, however, had been teased by Sunny, which led to some back and forth, but the reality is Charlie wanted to face the EBU champ for his first fight back after a 10-month absence.

“All my focus is on Thomas,” the challenger says.

“Sunny’s not going to get under my skin, he’s not going to rattle me. All I’ve been doing is going to sleep thinking about Thomas and waking up thinking about Thomas. In fact I’ll probably end up missing him. So all systems go for me. I’m an ultra-professional, I always have been.”

However, the raw emotion of Sunny being on the opposite hasn’t gone completely unnoticed by his brother. Whatever the feelings, Charlie knows it’s all business and these are unique circumstances that will likely not be repeated in the future.

“He’s taken his management career very seriously. Clearly there’s no love lost,” Charlie says of Sunny.

“I’m grateful because it brings more eyes to this fight, which is what I need. Especially after all the inactivity and politics behind the scenes keeping me inactive. I’ve put a lot of hard work and graft and consistency in these last few years.

“I’m really looking forward to this fight because I feel like I’m coming into the peak years of my career. I feel like my strength has gone through the roof. I’ve settled into [being] a man, I’ve filled out a lot more into this weight.”

Edwards goes into the fight with former two-time super-featherweight world title challenger Stephen ‘Swifty’ Smith in his corner. Edwards also gives the Liverpudlian enormous credit during this new career phase.

“He’s been the light that I needed in the darkest days that brought me back to life, brought my confidence back,” Edwards says of Smith.

“We all know his boxing brain is second to none. His IQ in the boxing ring is through the roof.

“The way he sees things, the way he explains things and most of all the energy that bounces between us. We can be in there doing 12 to 20 rounds in the gym. That whole time in the gym, it feels like I’m in there five minutes.

“That’s how I know that he’s the guy for me. When you’re locked in and focused, the energy that gets passed around just lifts me to another level. The knowledge that he’s putting into me and what he sees [in] my strengths and how to use my strengths to the best of my abilities.

“I’ve worked on a lot of other things which will come to fruition and light on fight night. I’m a strong bantamweight now. I’m punching now. My feet are in the right position. I can only talk so much but I have to walk the walk and showcase it on fight night.

“It’s going to be a great performance and a scary performance.”