TITLE TALK PUT SUNNY IN THE SHADE
09.10.17

TITLE TALK PUT SUNNY IN THE SHADE

The latest in our weekly fighting talk feature on what’s said and done inside – and outside – the ropes…

Hooks & Jabs
By Richard Hubbard

Sunny Edwards

ONE THING ABOUT young Sunny Edwards is he is not backwards in coming forwards when it comes to picking a fight.

The trouble is, recently he has been spoiling for a title scrap and, with his challenge ultimately not being accepted by the recipient, it resulted in Sunny being parked up when he was good to go.

Sunny hung his hat on reigniting a family feud with former English flyweight champion Louis Norman in a bid to move into the fast lane, but ended up being stalled in the lay-by.

“We were chasing the English title and had an opponent that was agreed upon with the terms – although there were a few things to iron out – and that was against Louis Norman, which would have been a fun fight.

“There is needle and history there, I beat his brother, my brother has beat him and the fight would’ve passed through easily for an English super flyweight title.

“I tried to get the fight before and he wasn’t interested, then he called me out over Twitter and then that night there was an offer on his table.

“I believe they were looking at September 16 for that fight and I have always said to everyone involved just to give me a little bit of notice and I will be there because I am not really into simply protecting a record.

“I just want to fight and, no matter what, your stock rises anyway when you put up a good fight. You get known for not knocking back opponents.

“So that would’ve been a good first step up against a decent enough operator – but I think I blitz him.

“It then went a bit quiet, he had a return fight after losing, then I was told the fight had fallen through because he couldn’t make the weight and was moving to bantamweight.”

Sunny though was not about to let a few extra pounds get in the way of good fight – or let it be the last word on the matter.

“He then said something else on social media so I said I would fight him at bantamweight. Then he went, ‘actually, I’ll fight you some time next year because we’ve got different plans’, or some b*llocks.

Sunny Edwards

“He doesn’t want it, so he should just admit it and not use weight as an excuse because he has since said he would fight Don Broadhurst and Paddy Barnes at super fly.”

Despite the delay to reaching his next destination, Sunny is soon set to appear on a London charity dinner show and is more than happy to strut his stuff in swanky surroundings.

“I am really looking forward to it – although it hasn’t been announced yet – and Frank will want classy operators and good fighters on show.

“It is just frustrating that my next ten rounder should’ve been for a title and now that title has gone to two other fighters – and I would fight either of them in my next fight in a heartbeat.

People are finding enough reasons to avoid me and I believe I just need that first little title to get my foot in the door, a little ranking so people have to fight me.

“I just want something to aim for, I want a nuclear boxing career where I fight, have a couple of weeks off and then go again.

“I don’t want droughts and this has been my own fault really because I pushed for the fight and my team did everything in their power to do it for me – offered up good money, a TV slot, a good bill – and it is not their fault that the opponent didn’t want to get in the ring.

“That is the trouble with pushing for titles and I understand that now. You can probably tell, I am very eager and ready to go.

“But I am going to slow down a bit now and take the fights that are put on the table for me and take it from there. I do get ahead of myself, but I am not like Paddy Barnes, who is 30 and needs to be pushed forward.

“I am 21 and should have a long, long career ahead of me. I do enjoy boxing and probably more than anything, I am really looking forward to the build up of a proper fight.

“That is what I got into professional boxing to do, to make it a show and have that back and forth.”

Back and forth? The opposition won’t get a word in edgeways!

MEANWHILE, STILL LOOKING on the Sunny side, another fly was added to the ointment last week with the addition of his former GB teammate Harvey Horn to the Frank Warren ranks.

Harvey Horn

“Me and Harv go way back and used to knock about when we was 14-15,” said Sunny. “We’ve always been similar in weight so we were sparring partners at Repton and GB.

“Harvey is a very good fighter and he is a good addition to Frank’s flyweight pool.”

With himself, Harvey and Joe Maphosa all now on the books, Sunny predicts things are about to get moving on the domestic front as the rumour mill cranks up to full swing.

“It is interesting because there will be quite a lot of movement now, I think. I hear through the grapevine that Jay Harris might be going for the super fly British, which would leave the Commonwealth flyweight vacant.

“Jamie Conlan going for the world title should leave the Commonwealth super fly vacant, so my little route to domestic titles could be through the Commonwealth first.”

Next week – Sunny reveals the story behind being name checked by Rigo

TURBO TELLS IT STRAIGHT

Terry Flanagan

Jorge Linares may reside in England now, but whether he is familiar yet with the lingo of Manchester’s own royalty, we do not yet know.

Terry Flanagan put an end to a bit of Twitter toing and froing between himself and the celebrated Venezuelan by borrowing the favoured punchline of Jim Royle, from the long-running Manchester sitcom the Royle Family.

Linares holds wins over Kevin Mitchell, Anthony Crolla (twice) and now Luke Campbell, but Terry insists this sequence would come to an abrupt halt if he were to finally sign up for a unification against an unbeaten 33-0 world champion.

“Brit slayer my arse!!!” fired Terry at the WBA belt holder. “You’ve fought the rest now fight the best.”

Could be a fight made by Royle appointment.

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