Promoter Eddie Hearn has announced plans for a thrilling unification fight between flyweight champions Sunny Edwards and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. The proposed match-up is targeted for November or December. However, WBO flyweight champion Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KOs) needs time to recover from jaw surgery, a consequence of his victorious bout for the vacant WBO title against Cristian Gonzalez in April 2023. Meanwhile, Sunny Edwards (19-0, 4 KOs), the reigning IBF champion, must first secure a win against Andres Campos on June 10th at Wembley Arena in London.
Hearn’s ambitious plan goes beyond the Edwards-Rodriguez fight. The promoter envisions the winner facing the champion emerging from a contest between WBA’s Artem Dalakian and WBC’s Julio Cesar Rodriguez. The endgame is to determine the undisputed flyweight champion, a rare occurrence in boxing. The voluntary exit of Junto Nakatani from the WBO flyweight title to move up to 115 has provided an opportunity for this grand scheme. Nakatani’s formidable skillset would have likely posed a significant challenge for any of these contenders.
Hearn acknowledges the severity of Rodriguez’s broken jaw, a setback that requires adequate healing time. “A broken jaw is never good. It’s going to take some time to heal. He’s going to be ready in November – December, and I think we can make the Sunny Edwards fight,” he expressed in a chat with Matchroom Boxing. Hearn underscores the Edwards vs. Rodriguez fight as one of the best in boxing, despite the lower profile of the flyweight class compared to heavyweights.
Hearn has high hopes for the unification plan. “Julio Cesar Martinez does have some backed-up mandatories, but I want to get this division unified. I want to have one undisputed champion,” he stated, showing commitment to his vision. If things go as planned, boxing enthusiasts could witness an unprecedented, action-packed flyweight championship contest towards the end of the year.
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