Preview: Sunny Edwards vs Felix Alvarado
Sunny Edwards heads into his 19th fight looking to retain his IBF flyweight title and maintain his unbeaten record against the dangerous Nicaraguan knockout artist Felix Alvarado.
Edwards faces Alvarado on the back of his potential unification fight against Julio Cesar Martinez falling through at the final stage, which has resulted in Martinez being stripped of his WBC belt. With talks taking place and a fight seemingly agreed, it is highly likely if Edwards gets through this test on Friday night, he will fight for the vacant WBC belt next.
Edwards will be looking for another spectacular performance to retain his title
Edwards captured the title with a scintillating performance, where he dismantled the veteran Moruti Mthalane at York Hall. Since that night Edwards has gone on to defend his title twice with back-to-back comfortable unanimous decision victories. If Edwards does manage to make it 4 wins out of 4 in world title fights, he will be looking towards the vacant WBO AND WBC flyweight titles.
Sunny has quickly established himself as one of the best technical fighters in Britain at present and another win puts him at the very top of the flyweight division. With a slick, showboating style Edwards will be looking to increase his fan base with more stellar performances, as the 26-year-old has minimal knockouts on his record.
Although on paper it may not seem the toughest fight, Edwards is taking a huge risk by fighting Alvardo as he boasts an impressive 33 knockout victories in 38 wins and only has 2 losses on his record. Stylistically it is a catch 22 for Sunny and it will test his game plan. Alvarado will be coming to take Sunny’s head off and iron him out in emphatic fashion, which could play into his hands and allow him to duck, weave and showboat for 36 minutes. The flip side of the coin is Sunny gets caught and wakes up in his dressing room missing a title – and maybe a few teeth.
Huge credit has to be given to Edwards for accepting the fight to get back out into the squared circle and stay active, whilst screaming the house down for the Martinez or ‘Bam Bam’ Rodriguez fights. Edwards believes he has become one of the most avoided fighters in the sport, which is clear to see as the Englishman is clearly happy to take on dangerous fights before he gets his chance at undisputed glory.
Edwards returns home to British shores after heading over to Dubai in his previous two bouts, with the Middle East fast becoming a hot bed for major boxing events. Despite being north of his home in London, Edwards will be looking to put a show on in front of his fans in Sheffield.
Edwards on his way to a comfortable points win in Dubai
For Alvarado, Friday night is the chance to become a two-weight world champion and shock the boxing world. The knockout artist has had a career that has gone remarkably under the radar considering he has fists that appear to be made out of iron and a win over Edwards would be a coming out fight at the ripe old age of 33.
It is a first trip to these waters for Alvarado and many won't be aware of the serious power the former light flyweight champion holds. A victory over Edwards not only propels him to the top of the division but it also guarantees either an immediate rematch or the big fight opponents Edwards himself is chasing.
The fight is set to be a chess match between two very opposing styles and is a great matchup for fans. Will Edwards dance around Alvarado and take him for a tango? Or will Alvarado land a big right hand and send Edwards back to his dressing room in cuckoo land? The only way to find out is tune in Friday night and see the action unfold!
Fighter’s form
Sunny Edwards:
Thomas Essomba – WIN - UD
Moruti Mthalane – WIN - UD
Jayson Mama – WIN - UD
Muhammad Waseem – WIN - UD
Felix Alvarado:
Reiya Konishi – WIN - UD
Deejay Kriel – WIN - TKO
Israel Vasquez – WIN - KO
Luis Cerrito Hernandez – WIN – KO
Event information
Date: 11th November
Time: Ring walks approx. 22:30pm
Venue: Sheffield Arena, Sheffield
Promoter: Probellum (Fite TV)
