Edwards puts his hands on Essomba’s belt before rivals clash at private shoot later in the day
Ahead of their Friday fight night clash, challenger Charlie Edwards (19-1, 7KO) and European bantamweight champion Thomas Essomba (13-8-1, 3KO) almost came to blows during the pre-fight presser.
Promoter Nisse Sauerland had to come between the rivals after Charlie grabbed the champion’s blue belt.
Essomba defends his EBU title to voluntary challenger Edwards this Friday, September 27 at London’s York Hall, live on Channel 5.
The event is titled ‘Family Feud’, due to Charlie’s younger brother, Sunny, occupying the opposite corner, as Essomba’s manager.
However, that added spice is not needed, because there’s plenty of needle between the bantamweights already.
Croydon’s Charlie has had a bone to pick with the Cameroonian for years, ever since he was dropped by Julio Cesar Martinez during their 2019 world title fight and Essomba goaded him on social media.
Charlie commented, “I’ve had Essomba in my line of sight for a while now and I’ve not forgotten the disrespect he showed me after my world title fight with Martinez, all those years ago, goading me in a direct message on social media.
“My brother may think he knows me better than anyone, but there is nothing Sunny can do, or say, to stop me from devastatingly ripping the European title from Essomba by vicious knockout.
“This is the biggest fight of my career and of Essomba’s career too, and he should enjoy every second of having Sunny by his side during the build-up because, once the bell goes, it’ll just be me and him and I plan on making him pay for what he has said to me.”
Former WBC World flyweight champion, Edwards, has fought just five times in five years, partly due to being promoter-less and belt-less.
In June 2023, he defeated Darwing Martinez in his first fight in 18 months with Joe Gallagher in his corner, but then they split acrimoniously not long later.
Then, 10 months later, the 31-year-old won the WBC International Silver bantamweight title with a unanimous decision over Frenchman Georges Ory.
Five months later, Charlie is challenging for the European title at the most active he has been in years. He believes a victory here will catapult him back into world title contention where he once operated for a few years between 2018-2020.
Betting Odds (Ladbrokes)
Charlie Edwards – 1/12
Thomas Essomba – 13/2
Draw – 18/1
Prediction
Tim Rickson: “Any fight involving Essomba is always going to be nip and tuck, energetic, action-packed and close, but I believe Charlie has the higher quality and experience.
“I think the added spice with the pair not linking each other much, Charlie desperate to make Essomba pay and Sunny in the other corner will incentivise Edwards to go for the stoppage, but it’s a tough task because he’s so tough, only ever stopped once. And he’s been in with the likes of Jay Harris, plus Sunny Edwards himself.
“Charlie can load up viciously on his hooks and always looks like he wants to hurt his opponents, so a stoppage win is possible, but I think he wins this one on points, just always being that bit better than the champion throughout the 12-rounds.”