Sunny Edwards will be haunted by his final fight and his final words during a night of raw drama in the best British flyweight fight in 40 years in Birmingham on Saturday night.
Edwards was stopped on his feet in round six of his fight against his old friend and rival, Galal Yafai, but the fight had finished long before the mercy intervention. The stoppage by Lee Every, the referee, was perfect.
Yafai was having just his ninth fight and never lost a second of any round, forcing Edwards from corner to corner and placing him under relentless pressure. The win was not a shock, but the nature of the winner was totally unexpected.
At the end of round two, Edwards sat down in front of his new cornerman, Chris Williams, and made one of the most harrowing single-sentence statements a boxer can make.
“Can I be real, Chris?” Edwards asked, his face already marked and his eyes roaming wildly all over the place. “I don’t want to be here.” It is one of the bravest things a boxer can do in a fight where he suddenly realises that it is over. Edwards never quit, he was not looking for an escape route, he was just telling the heartbreaking truth.
This story is from the December 03, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 03, 2024 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Brexit Deals A £3bn-A-Year Blow To UK Food Exports
British food sales to the EU have fallen by almost a fifth since the end of the Brexit transition period, a new report shows
Biden Criticised Across The Board For Pardoning His Son
President’s decision slated by Republicans and Democrats
Why 8 hours is a myth and other athletes' sleep secrets
Performance coach Greg Meehan tells Alex Pattle how he keeps clients, including boxers and footballers, in top shape
Women like me won't stand for this treatment any more
When I woke up to MasterChef’s Gregg Wallace blaming midlife, middle-class women and their lack of a sense of humour for his troubles, I confess to swearing at my phone.
The BBC's Wallace problem goes beyond MasterChef
Is the fate of a television cookery presenter more important than Syrian insurgents seizing Aleppo and the turmoil on the streets in Georgia? The BBC thinks so, based on its news judgements in recent days, which have seen exhaustive coverage of the accusations against Gregg Wallace take precedence over matters of life and death around the world.
Edwards knew that he was beaten but he never gave up
Former world flyweight champion told cornerman, 'I don't want to be here' after two rounds of his loss to Galal Yafai
Proud Welshman who drew every drop from his talent
Terry Griffiths was the first qualifier to lift the world crown
Former world champion Terry Griffiths dies, aged 77
Tributes have been paid to former world snooker champion Terry Griffiths, who died on Sunday at the age of 77 after a long battle with dementia.
Transformed Gravenberch embodies Slot's Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp had a habit of sounding prophetic. Or he had the capacity, whether through coaching and tactical prowess or force of personality, to make some of what he said come true.
Soaring house prices heap pressure on fixer Rayner
Sorry to make a soggy start to the week even more miserable, but it brings bad news for homebuyers. The housing market has taken a shot of adrenaline and performed a season’s best in the high jump.
