SUNNY Edwards defeated Adrian Curiel by ninth-round technical choice in Phoenix. Boxing for the primary time since Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez handed him a primary profession loss, Sunny was tasked with whetting the urge for food for Bam’s battle with Juan Francisco Estrada.
It didn’t all go to plan, though Edwards secured the victory and appeared to win a lot of the rounds, utilizing his full field of methods (an acquired style for a lot of) to outmaneouvre Curiel at each flip earlier than a reduce within the sixth finally led to the untimely playing cards in spherical 9.
Change-hitting early on, Edwards employed these aforementioned trademark strikes, sliding round southpaw Curiel, dipping into his pictures from quite a lot of angles. The professional-Mexican spectators weren’t as appreciative of Sunny’s method. Edwards little question blocked that out, virtually revelling of their rising displeasure.
June 29, 2024; Phoenix, AZ; Sunny Edwards and Adrian Curiel throughout their combat on the Footprint Middle in Phoenix, Arizona. Obligatory Credit score: Daniel Bartel/Boxing Information
Curiel aimed a mini-headbutt at his antagonising foe as Edwards danced and clowned on the shut of the fourth. Previous to that incident, Mark Nelson implored each males to look at their heads following an untidy scuffle in spherical three. It was a portentous instruction from the veteran official as Curiel’s skull opened up a horror gash on Sunny’s brow in spherical six.
They carried on till the ninth, when the physician intently inspected the reduce, calling time on the bout. Whereas the pissed off crowd eagerly waited for Estrada and Bam to have interaction in a conflict, the judges have been extra sympathetic to Sunny Edwards’ actions, awarding the Croydon man a comeback victory by scores of 90-82 (Victor Loughlin), 88-84 (Omar Mintun Sr) and a quite odd 87-85 from Chris Wilson who should’ve discovered one thing he appreciated from Curiel.
Having turned professional in 2016, Edwards is now 21-1 with solely 4 KOs. Regardless of not being a puncher, he has developed an efficient model that wins fights. Curiel, who had beforehand constructed a portfolio of proof to indicate that he belonged at this degree, couldn’t launch efficient assaults and fell to 24-6-1 with simply 5 KOs.
June 29, 2024; Phoenix, AZ; Sunny Edwards and Adrian Curiel throughout their combat on the Footprint Middle in Phoenix, Arizona. Obligatory Credit score: Daniel Bartel/Boxing Information
“I don’t anticipate no favours once I come to America, I believed I used to be approach clear forward,” mentioned Edwards, referencing his earlier Stateside expertise, as the group booed his responses.
“I want the combat was nonetheless happening now. I felt comfy. I used to be cruising. Galal Yafai, I’m prepared.”
