GOOD TIME CHARLIE
Edwards buzzing for return
CHARLIE EDWARDS is taking inspiration from Joseph Parker’s resurgence under Andy Lee and hoping Stephen Smith can do the same for him.
The British boxer is looking to resurrect his career after being left in the boxing wilderness.
Edwards, 31, has fought just three times in four and a half years after management fall-outs and bad promotional moves, which he accepts were “s*** decisions” on his part.
The former WBC flyweight champion saw one management group disbanded under a cloud of controversy surrounding the defunct MTK organisation before he went to promotional outfit Probellum, which disappeared in mysterious circumstances.
Edwards turned to Manchester man Joe Gallagher to train and manage him but a falling out means he is steering his own career, while former world title challenger Smith will put him through his paces.
“I’ve known the Smith family for a long time,” said Edwards.
“I’ve been on amateur squads with Stephen’s brother Callum, I’ve shared cards with Stephen as a professional.
“So when I found out he was training fighters, we had a week trial out in Portugal.
“It was after a day with him, I went home and my wife asked me how it was going but she knew.
“I said, ‘I’m going to see how the week goes’ and she was like, ‘Why?.’ She hadn’t seen me so buzzing about something in a long time. The next day we were going for a run so I decided to spring it on him. Now here we are.”
Edwards will have his first fight next Friday under new trainer Smith, who only recently began coaching after retiring from fighting in 2019, when he faces 17-3 Frenchman Georges Ory at York Hall on Channel 5.
It will be his debut bout with new promoters Wasserman as he plots a path at bantamweight.
Now he’s hoping he can follow a similar route to former WBO heavyweight champion Parker, who has beaten Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang after reviving his career with former world middleweight title holder Lee.
“I’ve seen what
Parker and Lee have done together and that’s something I believe I can do,” he said.
“I’m more grateful now because I’ve got my moment back and I thought I might not get it.”
Edwards admits there’s been some lows along the way. He gave up alcohol almost two years ago as he believed it wasn’t helping during the “dark times”.
Now happily married with a young child and living in Portugal, he is adamant he’s energised and looking for another tilt at a world title.
“Last year I was fighting at the Bowlers in Manchester. No disrespect, but I’m a former world champion and I believe I’m better than that, struggling for TV coverage,” he said.
“It is like I’ve been slapped numerous times and told, ‘No, no and no again’ – but now I feel this is my resurgence moment.”