PHOENIX, AZ – Boos turned into cheers for Sunny Edwards in his first visit to Arizona.
It was a painful introduction, lots of bruises and no belt in a beatdown delivered by Jesse Rodriguez, who left no doubt about why he’s called “Bam” throughout a one-sided stoppage last December.
The defeat in nearby Glendale was loaded with reasons to stay away. But Edwards is back, and this time Arizona’s predominantly Mexican and Mexican-American fan base is welcoming back Edwards with the cheers that were there when he left seven months ago.
“My Mexican family,’’ Edwards said to a row of his newfound fans Thursday at a news conference for his flyweight bout against former junior-fly champion Adrian Curiel on the compelling Bam-Juan Francisco Estrada undercard Saturday night at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.
It’s a growing family of fans, Mexican and Mexican-American who often measure their boxers by their will to fight. In Edwards’ crushing loss to Rodriguez, they saw plenty.
Against Curiel, they hope to see more from Edwards in a return performance that this time he says will produce a victory.
Edwards, often brash, made it sound as if he has been anxious to get back to the state, the scene of his lone loss in an urgent fight to correct the record.
Welcome back to harm’s way. Edwards likes it there.
“People ask me ‘Isn’t it sickening to be fighting on the undercard featured by a fighter who just beat you?’” the UK flyweight said. “No, it isn’t. I think it’s fitting. It’s where I need to be.’’
An irony, perhaps, is that Edwards (20-1, 4 KOs) is scheduled to face a Mexican in front of an expected crowd of 10,000, many of whom are also in the Phoenix area for the Mexican National soccer team in a Copa America game against Ecuador Sunday at State Farm Arena in Glendale.
Curiel (25-5-1, 5 KOs), of Mexico City, didn’t arrive in Phoenix until late Thursday after finally acquiring a VISA, according to Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Promotions.
“I didn’t know anything about that,’’ Edwards said.
It also didn’t alter his opinion of Curiel, who lost his title in a rematch loss to Sivenathi Nontshinga in February.
“I’m in with a fighter that I think isn’t half of my last opponent,’’ said Edwards, who also doesn’t think much of Nontshinga “I think it cheapens a world title that either of them were world champions.’’
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