Sunny Edwards to defend IBF world flyweight title on same show as Catford’s Ellie Scotney

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Sunny Edwards will defend his IBF world flyweight title against Andres Campos at the OVO Arena Wembley on June 10.

The Croydon-raised boxer is one of three world title bouts on the bill with Catford’s Ellie Scotney challenging IBF super-bantam champion Cherneka Johnson.

Edwards, 27, signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing in March. He is set to make the fourth defence of his IBF belt that he won against South Africa’s Moruti Mthalane in April 2021.

Edwards (19-0, four KOs) has seen off challenges from Felix Alvarado, Muhammad Waseem and Jayson Mama since.

Chilean Campos (15-0, four KOs), is ranked at seven in the IBF rankings and has held the WBO Latino flyweight title since March 2020.

Edwards is hoping that signing with Matchroom will help him land the unification bouts that he craves.

“Campos has been calling for a fight with me for a couple years now, since I’ve been champion, which is strange to me,” said Edwards. “So, now I’m gonna cook him like sweet chilli and send him back packing with his tail between his legs, the little muppet.

“Signing with Matchroom opens up all the channels of the fights I want. I think me and Eddie (Hearn) promoting a fight will be a match made in heaven.

“He’s as good, if not the best, promoter in boxing, marketing-wise. I’m in the right place.

“It depends on the opponents. He knows I want them.

“Eddie had the opportunity to sign me before I went with Frank Warren.

“It was hard for people to get excited by a very small flyweight who didn’t punch very hard.

“Play it over 19 times and no-one has been close to beating me at world level, I can mix it if I need to and I will fight anyone.

“Hopefully Eddie lines up all the killers – the best. That’s the mission. If he can’t then that means he can’t get them in the ring.

“If you see me fighting the B-level and C-level fighters then the only reason is because the opponent still, with everything considered, won’t get in the ring with me.

“I got to the number one in every promotional stable I’ve been in by saying yes to every fight when others weren’t.

“I got every opportunity when I was with Frank Warren because every other flyweight didn’t want to fight me. I could list them – but they don’t deserve the coverage.

“I can’t consider myself Eddie’s flyweight, really. Not until I’ve cleared the ones he has an existing relationship with.

“I’m very, very encouraged by how much they seem to believe in me and what they think I can do – the plans we’ve spoken about – but I’ve still got to deliver Johnson (15-1, six KOs) got her hands on the vacant IBF title on her home patch in Melbourne 12 months ago against Melissa Esquivel and then bravely coped with a brutal cut in the second round of her first defence against fellow Aussie Susie Ramadan as they served up a classic at the Rod Laver Arena in October.

Scotney (6-0) lands her first world title shot against Johnson and will fight at the Wembley venue for the third time in her burgeoning career after landing the European title in her last outing in October.

Croydon’s Joshua Buatsi ends a 12-month absence from the ring when he faces Pawel Stepien in Birmingham on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Olympian, a former GB international, has not fought since outpointing Crystal Palace’s Craig Richards last May.

Buatsi (16-0, 13KOs) has signed a promotional deal with Sky Sports.

Poland’s Stepien looks unlikely to stretch the South Londoner.

Despite an 18-1 record, the 32-year-old has faced low-key opposition.

Buatsi had been on a 10-fight stoppage streak before facing Richards, and should get the job done comfortably inside the distance.

PICTURES: MATCHROOM BOXING AND KEITH GILLARD