Sunny Edwards: Martinez should have been stripped of WBC world title after reneging on facing me
Sunny Edwards insists Julio Cesar Martinez deserved to be stripped of his WBC world flyweight title the second he walked away from their unification fight.
IBF world champion Edwards and Martinez were deep into negotiations to stage a blockbuster showdown in Mexico last month with both belts on the line.
Croydon-raised Edwards, 26, had been pushing to make the fight happen for months but Martinez instead agreed to face his mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo in December.
Edwards, nicknamed ‘Showtime’, now defends his IBF crown tomorrow night against Nicaragua’s Felix Alvarado as he looks to move to 19-0 as a professional.
But he is adamant there should be more than just the one title on the line at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena this weekend.
“Martinez is not a rival of mine, he’s a muppet,” said Edwards, in a scathing attack on the Mexican.
“I saw him as easy work, but I was trying to sell it as being my hardest fight to date.
“The WBC title should be vacant, and it should be on the line for me and Alvarado on November 11. Martinez was paying step-aside money, to an overdue mandatory challenger, and then pulled out of the fight.
“Whoever is advising Martinez has told him to stay a million miles away from Sunny Edwards. He has avoided me like the plague. And, for me, Martinez is done in the division now.”
Edwards wants to land a big-time fight with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in 2023 and had invited the US star to be at ringside in Sheffield this week.
But the South Londoner knows he cannot afford to overlook Alvarado (38-2), who was previously an IBF title holder at light-flyweight.
The 33-year-old challenger has not lost since 2014 and is on a 20-bout winning streak.
“I have become one of the most avoided fighters in world boxing, but Felix Alvarado has the courage to face me on November 11, and that makes him an extremely dangerous opponent,” said Edwards, who is set to make the third defence of the title he won by outpointing South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane in April 2021..
“I have grand plans to become the undisputed flyweight world champion, and then move through the weights, and I am totally confident that will happen – but there is no room for error against a fighter of Alvarado’s calibre, that’s for sure.”
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