Charlie Edwards Edges Out Thomas Essomba for Title Shot

Charlie Edwards moved closer to a world-title shot by defeating European bantamweight champion Thomas Essomba with a points victory at London’s York Hall. Although Edwards secured an emphatic points decision, the fight proved closely contested. Throughout the 12 rounds, Edwards outworked Essomba while the Cameroonian landed significant power shots, notably with his left hook.

In his post-fight remarks, Edwards called out Liverpool’s Paul Butler and expressed his desire to face any of the Japanese world champions. “Thomas is a tricky operator,” Edwards said, emphasizing his ambition to fight champions and explore opportunities across the boxing landscape. With this victory, Edwards celebrated his 20th career win as he aimed to become a two-weight champion within the next year.

Edwards previously held the WBC flyweight title from 2018 to 2019 but vacated it due to difficulties making the 112lb weight limit. After a lengthy 19-month hiatus, he has now won three fights in the last 15 months. This bout carried particular personal significance for Edwards because his brother, Sunny serves as Essomba’s manager. Sunny, dressed in a long fur coat supported both fighters as they entered the ring.

However, he decided against being in Essomba’s corner during the fight. Despite a shaky start, Essomba, 36, rallied in the latter half of the match, shifting from a counter-punching style and connecting with solid blows in the ninth and tenth rounds. However, Charlie Edwards maintained his composure and boxed effectively in the final two rounds.

Ultimately, the scorecards read 117-111, 116-112, and 118-111 in favor of Edwards. Wearing a Butler T-shirt during his post-fight interview, he highlighted the personal stakes involved as Butler trains under Joe Gallagher, Edwards’s former coach.