What time will Sunny Edwards vs Jesse Rodriguez main event ringwalks be?
Sunny Edwards bidding to become the unified world flyweight champion in Phoenix on sunday morning
IBF World flyweight champion ‘Showtime’ Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4KO) meets WBO holder Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (18-0, 10KO) in a unification battle this weekend in the States, and BBN have provided all the info for fans to tune in and watch below:
Fight Details
Date: Saturday December 16 (Sunday morning in the UK)
Venue: Desert Diamond Arena, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Time: Event starts from 1am GMT
Ringwalks: 3:55 GMT (approx)
How to Watch:
TV / Livestream: DAZN
Betting Odds
2/1 Edwards (Ladbrokes)
1/2 Rodriguez (Betfair)
20/1 Draw (Sky Bet)
Background
Englishman Edwards is skillful backfoot boxer, very elusive, mobile, fluid and hard to hit. His boxing ability, skill and movement is unrivalled, he is rarely ever troubled by anyone.
He has beaten everyone placed in front of him so far, but there’s not many notable names on his resume just yet, except for one – Felix Alvarado.
To win his IBF bauble, he dethroned the champion Moruti Mthalane in his second reign as the IBF flyweight ruler, however he was over 40-years-old by then. Other victories have included fringe contenders such as Muhammed Waseem, Jayson Mama and Andres Campos.
But his career-best win came against former light-flyweight world champion Alvarado, who really piled on the pressure with an increasing intensity to pin Sunny to the ropes, but the defending champ was always on top.
Sunny describes himself as “a Rubix Cube tied up with a puzzle and a riddle after it”. And it’s true, he is terribly tricky!
Standing opposite, ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is a powerful boxer-puncher and one of the only available opponents out there that could match Sunny’s hand speed and footwork. He brings power, pressure, movement, accuracy and intensity. His feet are elite and can cleverly work his way into range almost unseen, and of course his ability to switch angles is masterful.
His CV is arguably more impressive than the Brit’s, as a two-weight world champion with the likes of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras as scalps.
The 23-year-old from San Antonio has a slight height and reach advantage and will get the home advantage as well, which could be pivotal if the fight goes deep.
‘Bam’ is known for his pressure and power, and has a fearsome stat that seven of his last 10 contests have ended early, but Sunny will be reassured that recently there’s only been one single KO from his last four fights.
The victor will become a unified flyweight champion, with just two other champions remaining.
Predictions
Tim RicksonBBN Editor: "Edwards has a reputation for conclusively outboxing and outpointing his opponents, however his next opponen will be the best he has ever faced so far, plus it’s in the Texan’s backyard who will be on the frontfoot all night – all factors that will go against the Brit.
"‘Bam’s’ elite footwork, ability to close distance, accuracy, explosiveness and awkward angles will trouble Edwards more than he’s used to.
"In his last fight with Felix Alvarado, he was backed up to the ropes, but often lingered because he felt comfortable there, but that will be a mistake against ‘Bam’ because he will switch feet to find angles and openings. Alvarado stood still to land his shots, but ‘Bam’ will twisting and turning and raining shots on him from everywhere.
"Althout Alvarado was great preparation for this fight, ‘Bam’ is going to bring a lot more and will be level above any of Sunny's recent foes.
"Sunny can always be expected to go the distance, he doesn't possess any power, so I don't believe ‘Bam’ will be troubled when caught out.
"I just think Edwards could be in for a surprise here. I know he is confident and a natural at boxing, but you don;t realise how good a fighter is until you get in the ring with them.
"I #would love Edwards slip, skip and glide his way to a points victry, but I'm predicting Jesse Rodriguez to win on points and possibly score a knockdown along the way."
Running Order
Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez vs Sunny Edwards
Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Kevin Gonzalez
Galal Yafai vs Rocco Santomauro
Peter McGrail vs Ja'Rico O'Quinn
Arturo Popoca vs Carlos Mujica
Junaid Boston vs Gordie Russ II
Joe McGrail vs Edgar Ortiz Jr
Quotes
JESSE RODRIGUEZ: "This is the biggest fight of my career, no doubt, but I approach it the same way I always do; cool, calm and collected. There’s no need for talking, all my work has been done in the gym and on Saturday night, you’ll see that.
"I’ve always been this way, and this is nothing different, it’s just another day and on Saturday night I am ready to shine. Camp is done, training is done, we have the right game plan and come Saturday night, people will see everything we’ve been working on, my hand will be raised in victory, and I am taking his belt, his ‘0’ and it’s time.
"I respect him as a person, I said yesterday though that on social media he likes to talk but in person he doesn’t. If I didn’t want this fight, I wouldn’t be here. We wanted it and that’s why we’re here. I am going to do you like Julio Cesar Martinez did to your brother.
"We’re ready, he’ll see, just tune in on DAZN. Bam Rodriguez, unified champion on Saturday night."
SUNNY EDWARDS: "The reason why I don’t talk in person is that if I started talking and bullying you the way I could; your trainer didn’t come to Orlando, and he’s not sat here – why? Because he is scared of what I say. Your whole team is on eggshells, no one wants to look at me, you have been walking doing sweat sessions last night; I just want to make sure you don’t have any excuses for your bad hand, bad jaw, that’s why I didn’t bully you.
"I know exactly who I am, I just didn’t want to bully a 23 year old kid because you wouldn’t have turned up otherwise. That’s why we’ve been chilling. You don’t know who you are, you don’t even know if you like boxing. You have been a nice, quiet little boy and now you want to say I don’t know who I am? You are the one that’s confused. Of course I shake your hand, you are a fighter. It’s not about talking shit, the reason I laid off you was I know how hard it was to get you and your team to accept this fight. You didn’t want this fight. On Saturday night you are going to be like your brother, retired. You have no heart for this.
"Everyone says ‘game plan, game plan, game plan’ but it all goes out of the window when you can’t lay a glove on me. Facts. I’m not worried about this kid."
Sunny Edwards vs Jesse Rodriguez fight preview
Edwards warns Rodriguez he is capable of beating anyone
Rodriguez promises to KO Edwards with skill & power
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