Sunny Edwards may make a comeback this summer in the United States.
The 28-year-old is set to have his second back-to-back fight in the United States, following his defeat to Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in Arizona last December. According to ESPN, there is a potential bout between Edwards and Mexico’s Adrian Curiel on June 29, serving as the main undercard event for Rodriguez’s title challenge against Juan Francisco Estrada for the WBC super-flyweight championship.
Trainer Grant Smith made the decision to withdraw Edwards from the fight against Rodriguez in the ninth round after he was heavily knocked down. The effects of Rodriguez’s strong punches were evident in the swelling under Edwards’ eyes and cuts on his nose and right eyebrow. This win for Rodriguez not only unified the flyweight division but also put an end to Edwards’ three-year reign as IBF champion.
Edwards has recently mentioned his interest in moving to the light-flyweight division and has been keeping an eye on the winner of the IBF 108lb title rematch between Curiel and Sivenathi Nontshinga that took place last month. The rematch occurred three months after Curiel’s remarkable performance in Monte Carlo, where he achieved the Upset of the Year and Knockout of the Year contenders by defeating the South African in the second round with a powerful blow.
Fighting back home in Mexico for his first defence Curiel found Nonthshinga a tougher nut to crack. The challenger endured attack after attack from the champion until the 10th round when landed three right hands and threw a flurry of shots which forced a standing eight count from referee Mark Calo-oy. With less than 40 seconds to go in the frame Nonthshinga launched another attack forcing Calo-oy to stop the fight.
Nontshinga, a boxer represented by Matchroom like Edwards, aspires to unify the light-flyweight division by facing WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji. However, before that, he must first have a rematch against Christian Araneta, who is the mandatory challenger. The IBF recently mandated the fight, giving both parties until April 4 to come to an agreement or risk the fight going to purse bids. Araneta has won his last five fights since losing to Nontshinga on points three years ago in a non-title match.
