British IBF Flyweight champion Sunny Edwards sealed a unanimous decision victory over contender Andres Campos in a hard-won battle. The two main-evented at the Wembley Arena in London on June 10th. Though he netted a vital victory, the scorecards of the judges (all 117-111 scores in favor of Edwards) seemed to have not accurately scored a fight that was closer than indicated.
For most of the rounds, 27-year old Sunny Edwards (20-0, 4 KO’s) won clearly but Chilean contender Andres Campos (15-1, 4 KO’s) grabbed more rounds than the judges scored through his own efforts in the ring. While Edwards was very effective offensively, defensively there were some cases where Campos seemingly gained ground.
Edwards’ concentration and work rate spiked and dimmed at times, but had a good performance against a contender in Campos who clearly came with the intent to grab a victory. However, Edwards’ overall ability as a boxer and determination saw him seal the victory after twelve rounds.
Sunny Edwards’ victory counts as his fourth as a world champion since first winning the IBF Flyweight title in April of 2021. He has since then built up a decent resume with recent wins over former world champion Felix Alvarado (39-3, 34 KO’s) and former world title challenger Muhammad Waseem (12-2, 8 KO’s).
His match with Edwards counted as the first world title opportunity for Andres Campos who had been unbeaten prior to facing the Brit. 26-year old Campos will have gained the experience of a world title fight that was closer than illustrated, and can take his knowledge of his battle to undoubtedly challenge for a world belt in the near future.
The event also featured New Zealander Cherneka Johnson (15-2, 6 KO’s) defending her women’s IBF Super Bantamweight world title against British contender Ellie Scotney (7-0, 0 KO’s). The two went head-to-head in a fierce clash that the latter eventually won by unanimous decision.
It was a hard-won battle for both female fighters, but one that Scotney edged through her work ethic in the ring through her greater activity. She won with scorecards of 98-92 twice and 97-93 in a match that, like the main event, was closer than scored.
It’s a pivotal victory for Ellie Scotney who continues on to what has become a trend of British female fighters winning world titles in less than 10 fights. She joins an impressive list of contemporaries including the likes of Sandy Ryan and Nina Hughes, the latter of whom fought on the same card on the June 10th night.
Women’s WBA Bantamweight champion Nina Hughes (6-0, 2 KO’s) also recorded an excellent win over fellow Brit Katie Healy (6-1, 0 KO’s). 40-year old Hughes, who had an upset win over former opponent Jamie Mitchell to win her WBA title, retained her belt for the first time as a world champion. She won by UD with resounding scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91.
With all of the main British attractions winning in pivotal matches, the event at Wembley Arena was a successful evening for those in attendance or those viewing. It also was another showcase of British dominance, particularly for women’s boxing which saw one contender become a champion and another, rather unproven, champion defend hers successfully.
Sunny Edwards now has plenty of choices ahead of him following his signing to DAZN/Matchroom, but the key match that will help him move up in the pound-for-pound rankings will be a high-stakes match against fellow Matchroom fighter and two-time American world champion Jesse Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KO’s) who currently holds the WBO title and is still undefeated.
