FightPost Boxer of the Week: Charlie Edwards

FightPost Boxer of the Week: Charlie Edwards 

By Gary Kittilsen

Charlie Edwards shocked the world back in December of 2018 when he pulled a massive upset over the highly touted Cristofer Rosales. Edwards showed himself as a world-class fighter who could use the ring, as well as punch and adjust to everything an elite level offensive fighter like Rosales could offer up.

Edwards showed that none of the high levels skills he showed in the Rosales upset were a fluke and that he is indeed a world-class fighter to be reckoned with. The Surrey UK native handed in another masterful performance at London’s Copper Box arena. Making the inaugural defense of his WBC flyweight title a successful one and capturing our fighter of the week award

Angel “Golden Boy” Moreno was a well-respected ring veteran who was expected to pressure Edwards offers some resistance and make the champ really work to keep his title. As the fight unfolded the clear difference in skills became abundantly clear. Edwards used blazing hand speed and excellent footwork to land at will and avoid Moreno’s limited return fire. The challenger repeatedly swung widely and miss badly while the champ would load up and land picture perfect counter shots.

By the middle rounds on the advice of his cornerman Edwards gave up the showboating antics and got back down to business and the one-sided sparring session become a vicious beat down that saw Edwards not just controlling the range with his sharp jab and slick footwork but also landing thudding power shots to the head and body and nasty little upper cuts on the inside.

The challenger proved to be tough but little else, as he attempted to pick up the pace in the second half of the fight, he only ate more and more power shots from the champ. One solid right hand in the eighth put Moreno on the canvas. After the knockdown, Edwards remained in control and won every round on every scorecard taking a lopsided decision over Moreno by scores of 120-107 on all three cards.

Edwards is not just establishing himself as a world-class fighter but also as a fan favorite and a massive draw in the UK. That combination is going to give the champ plenty of options.

A rematch with Cristofer Rosales is in high demand, there are also two other big names in the flyweight division. Undefeated Ukranian Artem Dalakian who currently holds the WBA title and undefeated WBO champ 23-year-old Kosei Tanaka which would be perhaps the best fight that can be made in the division.

The real mega fights would require Edwards to vacate his flyweight title and move up to challenge the likes of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Juan Carlos Estrada and of course an all UK showdown with 115 pound WBA kingpin Khalid Yafai. Luckily for fight fans, this appears to be something Edwards is willing to do, saying “I am going to be a multi-weight world champion, mark my words” in the post-fight interview.