Lord of the flyweights Sunny Edwards defends his IBF title against Felix Alvarado on an exceptional night of boxing in Sheffield. Edwards headlines Probellum’s debut show in the Steel City on Friday, November 11 at the Sheffield Utilita Arena.
Weights: Sunny Edwards 111.25 vs. Felix Alvarado 111.1
Jack Bateson 120.5 vs. Shabaz Masoud 121.8
Hebert Conceição 163.1 vs Gideon Onyenani 162.5
Thomas Essomba 114.5 vs Marcel Braithwaite 115.5
Sunny Edwards was honoured with an IBF ring on the eve of the most dangerous fight of his career.
The 26-year-old puts his IBF world belt on the line at Probellum Sheffield on Friday night when he faces the hard punching Felix Alvarado.
And Edwards, who first won the title in April of last year, was presented with the special ring to acknowledge his reign as the 112lbs champion of the world.
Edwards said: “I have been waiting for this ring, and I was meant to fly out to the IBF convention to receive it. But to be presented with it here, in Sheffield, means more, it is more personal.
“There is only one night left now, and that’s fight night. I am really looking forward to it and I really hope the Utilita Arena stands up and makes some noise tomorrow.”
And on one of the most exciting cards to be staged in UK boxing this year, unbeaten super bantamweight prospects Jack Bateson and Shabaz Masoud clash in a British title eliminator that fans have been raving about.
Edwards, one of the world’s most skilled and charismatic champions, makes a third defence of his IBF crown against the dynamite-fisted Nicaraguan Alvarado (38-2, 33KOs), a former title holder at the weight below.
And ‘Showtime’ (18-0, 4KOs) knows he must not slip up against his mandatory challenger because a future showdown with US star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is on the line.
Sunny Edwards said: “I have become one of the most avoided fighters in world boxing, but Felix Alvarado has the courage to face me on November 11, and that makes him an extremely dangerous opponent.
“I have grand plans to become the undisputed flyweight world champion, and then move through the weights, and I am totally confident that will happen – but there is no room for error against a fighter of Alvarado’s calibre, that’s for sure.”
EDWARDS – ALVARADO FIGHT DATE, START TIME
- Date: Friday, November 11th
- Time: 2pm ET/ 7pm GMT
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 5pm ET/ 10pm GMT
- The main card is set to get underway at 2pm ET / 7pm GMT with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 5pm ET in the U.S., and 10pm GMT in the UK.
- The fight takes place at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England.
Felix Alvarado said: “I am ready for this fight against Sunny Edwards, and I want to thank God for allowing me the opportunity to achieve my dream of becoming a two-weight world champion.”
Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum, said: “Pound-for-pound, Sunny Edwards is one of the most skilled fighters on the planet and on November 11, you will get to see ‘Showtime’ perform at his very best.
“Sunny also has the type of personality and charisma that makes him a must-see attraction in boxing and Probellum is thrilled to be able to deliver this world title defence, and special fight card, to his adopted hometown of Sheffield.”
Sunny Edwards Warned About Felix Alvarado Ibf Title Fight By Rival
Edwards puts his precious belt on the line against the big-punching Nicaraguan Felix Alvarado on Friday, November 11 at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
The world flyweight showdown tops a massive Probellum Sheffield show, which also includes the mouth-watering British title eliminator between Jack Bateson and Shabaz Masoud.
And Galal Yafai, the 2020 Olympic champion who is 2-0 as a pro, says Edwards will have to be at his best, if he is to overcome KO king Alvarado, who has 33 stoppages on his fearsome record.
“Me and Sunny get along well, and his gym is only a five-minute drive from mine,” Yafai told 5 Live Boxing.
“I sparred him for my first fight, and we did 10 rounders every week. They were wicked spars. He’s the IBF world champion and he’s got a tough fight against Alvarado, who is a very good fighter. But Sunny is a very good fighter as well and the spars showed me where I am at.
“You need top sparring, and you don’t get many flyweights in this country, and it could be a fight that can be made down the line, in the future.”
Sunny Edwards has invited US rival Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez to be at ringside in Sheffield to watch him run the “gauntlet” thrown down by Felix Alvarado.
Edwards brings world championship boxing to the Utilita Arena on Friday, November 11 when he puts his IBF world flyweight title on the line at an event too good to miss.
Edwards aka Showtime said: “I would like to invite Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez to my fight on November 11.
“We would look after him in Sheffield, get him to the UK a few days before and then we’d have him sat at ringside on fight night.
“It would be good to see the champion in person because it’s a fight I am super excited about building because it’s a super fight and he’s a super fighter.”
Edwards is not just excited about the challenge of Alvarado, and making a statement in front of Rodriguez, but the world champ is looking forward to the rest of the Probellum Sheffield card.
“Jack Bateson against Shabaz Masoud is, instantly, a great domestic fight,” he said.
“Both have very good support and they have already had a bit of back and forth on Twitter. This is a big, big fight, it’s ridiculously good, and there are more to be announced for the rest of the undercard. So, there’s my world title fight, Bateson vs Masoud and more to come, and tickets start at £35. It’s a very good card.”
The 26-year-old has been given fresh focus by mandatory challenger Alvarado after seeing a unification clash with Julio Cesar Martinez fall through.
“He’s the first fighter, in my whole career, who has had a real conviction about wanting to fight me and who did everything to make it happen,” Edwards (18-0) added.
“When Alvarado moved up from light flyweight, he called me out straight away and so I am relishing the fact that he has thrown down the gauntlet
“He’s really grabbed my attention and I don’t know why the others won’t fight me.
“Maybe it’s because they know, with my style, I would drain their soul; I imagine they can’t even bear to watch any of my fights because they know I make people look like they have forgotten how to box. They can’t comprehend it. They are playing chequers and I am playing chess.
“But Alvarado is a big punching Nicaraguan who wants the fight, and he sees me as a goldmine.”
