Jesse Rodriguez has now unified for the first time in his career after defeating Sunny Edwards by technical knockout. The pre-match build-up involved a lot of talking on Edwards’ part, including allusions to steroid use, yet on the night, Edwards was forced to acknowledge Rodriguez’ greater boxing ability after Edwards’ corner stopped the match. The event, which the two fighters headlined, was held at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on December 16th.
Sunny Edwards (20-1, 4 KO’s) unleashed a full repertoire of mind games prior to facing Jesse Rodriguez (19-0, 12s KO’s), with his latest accusation of SNAC helping Jesse Rodriguez abuse steroids remaining one of the highlights of his many barbs towards Rodriguez.
However, on fight night itself, Edwards seems to have fallen into a bout of overconfidence or overestimation as he was unable to deal with Rodriguez’ pressure. Normally known as a boxer, Edwards was notably not capable of fighting his usual style, which usually sees him maintain his distance. This can be attributed to Rodriguez’ own skillset, whose ability to cut off the ring prevented Edwards from making any impact but up close or at mid-range.
Forced to adapt, Edwards showed plenty of energy and determination in the pocket, but Rodriguez’ physical abilities and underrated skills made it Edwards’ hardest fight of his career. Many of the rounds, though close, went in Rodriguez’ favor as he was able to pressure as he was accustomed to. However, one glaring noticeable fact was the ineffective jab on Rodriguez’ part, which Edwards managed to stifle for the most part, a testament to Edwards’ own boxing ability.
The most glaring observation was Edwards’ defensive shortcomings due to fighting closer to his opponent than he was capable of. Unable to avoid most of Rodriguez’ shots, Edwards’ face became heavily bruised and damaged, which eventually led to his corner forcing him to retire after the 9th round due to his face’s state. Rodriguez won the match by corner retirement (RTD) as a result, which is counted onto his KO record.
Jesse Rodriguez, having already claimed the WBO flyweight title prior to his match with Edwards, also won Edwards’ WBO title to become the unified champion at flyweight for the first time in his career.
The event showcased other notable fights. The super bantamweight match between Uzbeki former world champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (12-1, 9 KO’s) and Mexican contender Kevin Gonzalez (26-1-1, 13 KO’s) saw the former win by technical knockout in the 8th round of the twelve-round match.
Akhmadaliev is now officially regarded as the mandatory WBA challenger at 122 lbs and will likely face the winner between Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KO’s) and Marlon Tapales (37-3, 19 KO’s), who are set to engage one another on December 26.
There was an additional super bantamweight match held on the card of significance, fought between British contender Peter McGrail (8-1, 5 KO’s)and American contender Ja’Rico O’Quinn (17-1-1, 9 KO’s). Despite virtually winning every round, McGrail suffered an upset loss when he was knocked out in the 5th round of the ten-round match by what can controversially be regarded as a lucky punch from O’Quinn.
Rising British flyweight contender Galal Yafai (6-0, 4 KO’s) also proved his credentials with another dominant win over American contender Rocco Santomauro (22-3, 6 KO’s), whom he defeated by unanimous decision over 10 rounds. Yafai also successfully defended his WBC International flyweight title in the process.
