Fight with Sunny Edwards is inevitable, according to Tommy Frank
Sheffield’s Tommy Frank has paid tribute to Luke Wilton, after beating the Belfast man to become the new Commonwealth Super Flyweight champion, and has reiterated he will fight any super flyweight in the UK, including Sunny Edwards.
Frank took just four rounds at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge Arena on March 15 to end the challenge of Wilton, putting his opponent on the canvas four times.
Wilton made a real fight of it, and showed true fighting spirit to get through a torrid first round that saw him hit the deck twice from pinpoint right hands. In the end though, Frank was too powerful and, in finishing Wilton early, managed to do something that current WBC World Flyweight Champion Charlie Edwards, and former British Champ Kevin Satchell, weren’t able to.
Now 10-0 (2), and in bagging his first major title, Frank has put himself in contention for British Title honours, and has recently been called out by WBO International Super Flyweight king, Sunny Edwards. Also undefeated in 10 fights – with three KOs – Edwards is another talented, Sheffield-based fighter who is making serious waves in the sport and, with the British Super Flyweight Title currently vacant, a fight between the pair would be huge, one day.
“I’ve got so much respect for Luke Wilton. What a tough man he is,” said Tommy, as he reflected on his win. “He’s been in with some of the best and has always given a good account of himself. To get a good win against him, in the fashion I did, really makes a statement. He showed so much heart, I hurt him a lot in the fight. Every time I landed on the button, or to the body, I could tell it was hurting him. And, I said beforehand, when I hit him, I’d hurt him.
“I knew he’d underestimate my power. With my record, I think he thought I was just going to come out and dance around for 12 rounds, but I took the fight to him. Glyn [Rhodes] said to me before the fourth round, ‘you’re bigger and stronger than him’ and that clicked. I came straight out and caught him with a good left hook, then I went downstairs and obviously there were two knockdowns to the body, and that was it.
“It would be a great fight [with Sunny Edwards] and there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind, at some point, we will fight, that’s inevitable. I’m open to fighting absolutely anyone. If the opportunity comes up then I’ll fight any 8st 3lbs man in the world, but I leave that up to Glyn, Dennis Hobson and Steve Crump. I put my career in their hands, and trust them to make the right decisions. I want to keep topping the bill in Sheffield, keep raising my stock, and there’s definitely some big fights out there. But I leave who I fight up to Glyn and Dennis.”
Promoter and manager, Dennis Hobson has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get Tommy his shot at the Commonwealth belt and, having previously guided a number of fighters to world titles, believes he can eventually do the same for the newest champion in his stable.
“Sunny Edwards calling Tommy out proves that he’s arrived. Sunny sees that Tommy has got something he wants. I think there’s only one winner though, and that’s Tommy. Tommy is a brand-new champion, and we’re looking at all options. I wouldn’t discount him fighting Sunny, it’s something we’ll look at if some of the other avenues I’m exploring aren’t the way we want to go. We’ll keep the option open, Tommy will fight anybody and if we can make a fight with Sunny as some kind of eliminator on the world scene, then we’ll look at it. Whether that’s the next fight, or in two or three fights, but it’s destined to happen as long as Sunny keeps winning.
“With the style and way that Tommy beat Luke Wilton, he’s arrived. He’s somebody I’m excited about taking onto the world scene. He’s got ability to burn, he’s got a personality, and the way he conducts himself makes him a role model. I’ve got fighters in the past world titles, and they haven’t had half the ability that Tommy has got.”