Jesse Rodriguez proved he is the best flyweight in the world by stopping Sonny Edwards in nine rounds to unify the WBO and IBF titles. Photo: @MatchroomBoxing
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez stopped Sonny Edwards in a one-sided nine-round collapse on Saturday, ending the debate over the world’s best flyweight.
The defending WBO titleholder put in one of his most impressive performances, taking the IBF belt from an opponent widely considered his equal and establishing himself as one of the best fighters in the world.
From as early as the second round at Desert Diamond Arena, it was clear that Rodriguez was succeeding in forcing Edwards to fight.
What followed became increasingly one-sided, and it quickly became clear that this was not a competitive match for Edwards, but one in which he would struggle to survive.
Early in the second round, he began to hurt Edwards. He absorbed a straight right from Rodriguez, but soon seemed troubled by Rodriguez’s effortless power, pushed back to the body by his left hand, and threatened by the nature of the fight that was unfolding.
Edwards, 27, was smaller but previously widely considered to be more cultured, but by that time he had suffered another injury to his left hand in the third, even if he subsequently adopted a southpaw stance and had more success. His left eye was already beginning to swell.
Another left kept him down in the fourth round, and he caught the eye with a counter right, only to be bounced back with another brutal left to the head.
As much as his advantages in terms of size and strength, Rodriguez’s impressive legs and cultured pressure allow Rodriguez, rather than a fighter who is perceived as a boxer, to dictate the scope and pace of their fights. I did.
The ensuing sixth round was even more frantic, as Edwards held his ground and risked a trade for Rodriguez, at the cost of more profuse bleeding from his left eye. It provided the clearest sign yet that we were on the brink. It’s breaking down.
Two more one-sided rounds followed, in which Rodriguez, who bears no resemblance to Gennady Golovkin in his middleweight heyday and who was showing maturity as an elite fighter beyond the age of 23, was patient and methodical. Edwards had little choice but to try to survive.
He had already broken Edwards’ gum shield in the ninth inning, but his left cross was so impactful that it broke one of Edwards’ legs from below, and then he beat referee Chris Flores’ count. I had a hard time.
Edwards falls!!!
And at the end of the round it’s over!
Bam Rodriguez! 👑👑 @210bam #RodriguezEdwards stay alive @DAZN Boxing pic.twitter.com/ECU0qshrtv
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) December 17, 2023
Only the impending conclusion of the round stopped the Englishman from being stopped on the spot. His trainer Grant Smith, aware more than anyone of the overwhelming inevitability of defeat, made the right decision to signal him to retire before the start of the 10th inning.
“This was the biggest victory of my career and my life,” Rodriguez said. “My last two performances [victories over Israel Gonzalez and Cristian Gonzalez Hernandez] A lot of media outlets looked down on me, calling me a hype job, this and that. They were talking about me very negatively. So to win a unification match against another undefeated champion couldn’t have been a bigger deal, and that’s why I was so emotional after the match. ”
After he agreed to terms to fight Edwards, he learned that his partner Rebecca would be giving birth to a girl within a few months.
“I knew this fight would not only change my life, but my daughter’s life,” he said. “I just want to get a bigger chance and be able to buy her better things. I was very motivated going into this fight because I know I’m about to have a daughter. I’m just very motivated right now. I’m happy. I can’t wait for her to finally be here and to finally meet her and tell her about this night. I’m due in April.”
Rodriguez, who easily expresses himself in any demeanor in the ring, is in further contrast to Edwards, a soft-spoken man whose trainer Robert Garcia is better able to put his ever-growing list of accomplishments into perspective. I know that I have the ability to capture
“When he came to my gym at age 15, I knew he was going to be special,” Garcia said. “We knew he was already special. It’s not easy to come down to weight, so we had to buy a fight in Tijuana, Mexico. When he moved up the weight class, he was a champion in the fight. Became [last year to win the WBC super flyweight title by defeating Carlos Cuadras], that’s how it all started. Nothing can stop us now. ”
Promoter Eddie Hearn spoke after the fight about his belief that Rodriguez should be featured on the pound-for-pound list. His job forced him to do so in this match, but he definitely made a valid point.
Hearn also said he expected Edwards to go to the hospital for X-rays on the damage to his left cheek, but before returning to the dressing room Edwards said from the ring: My left eye went blind and it became very difficult to keep it out of the way of his lead hand.
“I thought it was a great game, but the better player won that night.
“I couldn’t just keep moving and keep moving. [so I had to risk trading with him]. His feet were too good for that. His lead hand was too good for that. Around the 9th or 10th round, I could barely see in both eyes. My corner made the decision to pull me up, and it was probably right.
“He’s a hell of a fighter. He’s a champion. [But] I’ll be back. “
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