Sunny Edwards Wins Cut-Shortened Bout Over Adrian Curiel

PHOENIX – Sunny Edwards made the outcome a formality with his hand speed and boxing acumen, so when some drama stopped his evening short Saturday, he only had to wait for the numbers to provide his confirmation.

Indeed, they did. Edwards returned from his first defeat – a December flyweight title loss to main-event fighter Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – and cruised to a unanimous decision victory over former junior flyweight titleholder Adrian Curiel of Mexico, 90-82, 88-84, 87-85.

The flyweight bout was stopped before the start of the ninth round when the ringside doctor ordered referee Mark Nelson to end the fight due to the excessive flow of blood into Edwards’ right eye, cut on an accidental sixth-round head-butt.

While the crowd estimated to be near 10,000 booed, Edwards (21-1) stood there puzzled, feeling he had put on a boxing master class, with no appreciation by the pro-Curiel supporters.

“I don’t know if the crowd realizes what happened, but I had nothing to do with this. The referee stopped the fight. I’m more upset than any of the 10,000 fans,” England’s Edwards said. “I thought I was going to get him out of here.”

Before the drama over the cut, it did appear Edwards was producing a complete redemption in the same state where he surrendered his belt to Rodriguez in December by ninth-round stoppage.

Through three rounds, it was evident Edwards owned the speed advantage and was the more sophisticated boxer, leaving few options for the fighter who posted only five knockouts through his first 30 bouts.

Similarly, Curiel came here straight from a title loss, giving up his IBF junior flyweight belt in Mexico to South Africa’s Sivenathi Nontshinga by 10th-round TKO on Feb. 16.

Edwards didn’t need to engage, landing a quick punch on a referee’s break and then talking to Curiel until the bell rang to end the fourth, forcing the referee to separate the jawing pair.

As Curiel covered, Edwards jabbed and found openings to the belly and with an uppercut through the guard in the fifth.

Curiel sought to ask for vocal support from the crowd, but not being able to find the backpedaling Edwards as he endured the blows heightened Curiel’s frustration.

When he backed Edwards to the ropes in the sixth, Curiel’s head slashed forward and collided violently with Edwards’ forehead, opening a nasty gash on Edwards that spewed a heavy flow of blood.

There was now even more reason for Edwards to evade, and while the corner of his right eye was subject to diminished vision by the bleeding, he boxed on.

Before the ninth round began, the ringside physician inspected Edwards and decided the flow was too perilous for the bout to continue, sending it to the scorecards.

Edwards thought the scoring was too narrow, and asked for a title fight next.

“I’m ready. I’m the biggest name in the division,” Edwards said.