GUEST COLUMN
I can’t wait to start the next phase of my career and make history with my brother
Charlie Edwards is ready to succeed
I’VE always said a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter and I’ve never been so settled in all my life. I feel super focused.
I believe I’m going to go to a new level. In this game, especially at the top, it’s the little percentages that count. I didn’t realise how badly I was doing things but that was because I had to make a ridiculously low weight. Now I feel good, I feel strong, I feel focused and I’ve never felt so great in camp. I’m more focused now, because I’m settled and stable, than I was before the Cristofer Rosales world title fight in 2018. When I was going into that Rosales fight I was at another level so I’m really looking forward to what’s going to come from Saturday’s fight.
And I’m so happy I never have to make flyweight again. After I beat Rosales and had back-to-back camps, I was a world champion and I was depressed. The highs and lows were so hard, it was horrible making that weight. What happened in the last fight against Julio Cesar Martinez was probably a blessing in disguise. It made me realise now it’s time to do what’s right and step up. I’ve always been big for the weight. I’m filling out, I’m hitting so much harder. I’ve been restricting myself for too long.
Although I’ve been out of the boxing ring and haven’t fought for a year, I’ve been in the gym. I’ve been sparring, helping my brother Sunny through his camps. I’ve been living the professional boxer’s lifestyle all the way through. So I’ve made massive improvements as a boxer, as a fighter. I’ve been able to develop behind the scenes with not loads of attention on me.
Now it’s going to be good to put on that show again. I’m fighting Kyle Williams. It’s going to be a tough fight. Kyle is a great fighter, he’s ex-english champion. He’s tough, he’s game. He can be tricky, he can switch hit. But I will get in there and I will put on a dominant performance.
I’m not going to feel fragile in the ring. My legs are stronger. My core’s stronger. I’m going to be strong in there. In a few of my fights you’ve seen big shots where I’ve dropped people, uppercuts, body shots and stuff like that. I wouldn’t surprised if I land some big shots in this fight.
There will be a number of opportunities where I will hit Kyle clean. And I wouldn’t be surprised if, when I hit him clean, he goes. It’s a new era for me. Joining promoter Frank Warren couldn’t have come at a better time because it’s allowed me to have a fresh slate, a fresh start. I decided to make the move, Frank offered me a better route, a better contract and he seemed like he was really buzzing to work with me. Moving forward in my career, I haven’t got forever left, I’ve got another eight years probably. It’s about where financially is the right place to be to be able to provide for my family.
I think I’ve moved to BT Sport at a good time. Saturday is a must-win fight but it’s a fight I’m fully confident in. In the next 12 months we’re looking to drop down to superflyweight, get a world title there and see how I feel down there. If I feel fit and healthy enough to have a couple of defences, I will. I won’t ever get back into the ring in the same state I did in the last fight. If I move up to bantamweight then I move up and progress at bantamweight. The dream has always been to become a multi-weight world champion, to build a legacy. So I’m not going to be hanging around too much but when the opportunities arise, they arise and you’ve got to take that with both hands.
My brother Sunny and I have always had a dream to win a world title on the same night. In the next 12 months it’s very possible it can happen. I don’t think it’s ever been done in British boxing, two brothers winning a world title on the same night. So there’s history out there to be made.