Sunny Edwards expects to fight Galal Yafai in Birmingham in November – and then to challenge for the WBC flyweight title in 2025.
The 28 year old expects to be fully healed from the cut he suffered during June’s victory over Adrian Curiel to return to training in time for a date in November with his leading domestic rival. He also believes that victory will lead to a fight with the winner of the contest anticipated in October between Cristofer Rosales and Kenshiro Teraji for the vacant title of the WBC.
Edwards lost for the first time in December 2023, when he was stopped by Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez; the 31-year-old Yafai won on the undercard when he earned a unanimous decision against Rocco Santomauro over 10 rounds. His defeat that night meant that the fight predicted between them was delayed, and the cut suffered against Mexico’s Curiel meant that it was delayed further, but he has since spoken of having “agreed” terms to fight someone he also considers a friend – and someone he is relishing the prospect of fighting again.
“Everyone knows the fight they’re trying to make,” the 28-year-old Edwards told BoxingScene. “Former [amateur] opponent, Olympic gold medallist, Galal Yafai, and after that it looks like the only really logical explanation would be the winner of Kenshiro Teraji versus Cristofer Rosales. That looks like my two next fights, and I’d be happy.
“After coming off a loss against the best fighter in the division – top five, pound for pound – going against a former world champion in Curiel, then Olympic gold medallist in Galal, then it’s a world champion in Rosales or Teraji. I just want the challenges. I don’t need a perfect record or for everyone to think I’m good at boxing. I just need to find a ring to go and fight in.
“They’ve mentioned November; they’ve mentioned one place where they want it. We haven’t got to the nitty gritty of getting things over the line just yet – I’m not sure what the hold up is; hopefully sooner rather than later… – [but] he’s the only name that has been mentioned to me. Which is fine by me.
“The way my mind’s been is I beat him in the amateurs… I got on [Team] GB the weekend after Galal did. I beat him that year to get there. In that time of us training on the same squad together I felt very comfortable in sparring, and I can remember some of the things that some of the coaches said during those sparring sessions.
“After my four months on the squad I made a very quick and obvious observation of what was going on around me. A fighter that I had beat no less than six months ago had been sent to five different tournaments, WSB internationals – five – while I was waiting for my first trip out of the blocks. From that moment I felt like the system was against me. ‘Another place where my face don’t fit.’ It happened on England as well. But winning the ABAs, and in my opinion dancing on everyone in sparring, I thought would be enough to [overcome] those forces against me.
“Even though Galal’s a friend of mine, and I do actually like him, the moment he turned over, the message from me has been simple. ‘Whenever they’re ready for the fight, they’ll get it, because that’s my Olympic gold medal on his head. That I should have had and never got the opportunity, because my face didn’t fit.’”
It was at Tokyo 2020 where Yafai, who has won all seven fights as a professional – the most recent in April against Agustin Gauto – won his Olympic gold medal, by when Edwards was widely recognised as one of the finest fighters in the UK.
He insists that it isn’t personal between he and Yafai or indeed Yafai’s long-term trainer Rob McCracken – the performance director at Team GB – but that he regardless resents being denied his dream of competing at an Olympic Games.
“It’s like a rival,” he said. “You grow up in sport – you can still like someone, but their career bothers you. I think he’s cool. He’s sound. I’ve got no problem with Galal the person. [But] Galal’s career has rubbed me up the wrong way for a fucking long time. A very, very long time.
“I like Rob as well. Rob’s cool. But it doesn’t mean I don’t put myself aware of the actual reality that’s going on. I would love at any point for any of their side to come out and start telling me that I’m telling lies at any part of these stories.
“I was happy when Galal went on to win an Olympic gold medal. Of course I was; he’s going to be bringing all that value to me when he gets in the ring in the future; I was buzzing. So is it personal on them as people? No. I get on with them massively and I like them. However, when I was Sunny Edwards the kid that should have been getting sent to these qualifiers and didn’t, it was very clear that there was a system formed against me.
“I’m getting really, really, really frustrated [about the fight being on course for Birmingham] – at no point, since the last time I fought there and showed I’m actually a draw in Sheffield, has the conversation ever veered here once. It’s almost like I’m getting blocked – blocked from fighting in the city that I wanna fight in. Every single fight I’ve pushed and persisted, and now this one I can’t fathom.
“One, he don’t sell no tickets in Birmingham – I’ve been at his shows. Two, we both train five minutes away from each other and both sets of brothers – me and Charlie, and him, Kal and Gamal – have all lived, trained and been based in Sheffield for the most part of our adult lives. I’m a much bigger name than him as it stands in British boxing and world boxing. I’m a much bigger draw, and I bring more people to a fight. But why, at no point, are we ever considering my home town? I don’t really know. I’m starting to bang my head against the wall. ‘Cause it’s the only place I wanna fight.
“He’s done well [as a professional] and he’s been matched quite hard, really. He didn’t really get like 10 fights to roll into it, and then build up his confidence. He had to start mixing it against at least half-decent kids over longer rounds, who’d been there before. So he’s done well. As an amateur he was quite easy to hit, but he’s very good coming forward and he’s very powerful; quite relentless. That still stands.
“He’s been one of the most consistent people. We’re yet to see him in a proper, proper hard pro fight. I know that it’s very hard to keep a pace when you start running 100mph from the first round over an actual 12-round fight. Let’s be real – he’s not fought anyone of any real volition coming back, and he’s still been getting caught with clean shots. We’ve seen his legs buckle, maybe once; maybe twice. He’s where I’d have expected him to be.
“I don’t really think Rob’s done a fantastic job of making him much better. But when he’s been working with him for so long you wouldn’t really assume that he would. He’s done a good job. He’s got more knockouts than me [five to four] already. But it’s styles and horses for courses. How many fights are you gonna give him? You gotta remember, because I’m 22 fights into my professional career, and he’s only seven – the clock’s against him. I’m 28. He’s older than I am.”
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