Bam sees the Sunny side with ninth-round beating
Plus, PBC joins Amazon, magic Morrell and Jake Paul fades
In the biggest night of his life, Sunny Edwards exited the ring like a warrior. Winning is always the ultimate objective, but going out on a metaphorical shield will suffice when goals fall short.
Once Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez worked out the stylistic puzzle, it was only a matter of time as Edwards’ face was carved up like a Christmas turkey. Make no mistake, as commendable as the loser’s efforts were, Bam is a special weight-hopping talent.
Already suffering the scars of war, an accurate left hand in the ninth caught Edwards flush. The Englishman sunk to his knees and did well to beat the count. Rising and meandering back to his corner, trainer Grant Smith, in conjunction with the fighter, correctly decided it was time to call a halt on Sunny’s big moment.
Despite a positive start, Edwards’ contribution to the Arizona headliner was becoming more forced as he battled to remain competitive. His fast counter shots worked well. Switching stances, designed to confuse an opponent, confused Edwards more at times as he shipped punishment.
Retreating further to the ropes as each round went on, there was no denying Sunny’s heart and guts. What he lacked was the punching power to push Bam back and make him think twice about motoring inside so freely.
Bam’s body attack and giant reach advantage were causing havoc behind Sunny’s defensive lines. The 27-year-old was behind on all three scorecards (83-87 twice and 81-89) at the conclusion.
Always indulging in a bit of social media action, Edwards took to X to explain his woes: “Medial orbital fracture. Sorry I couldn’t continue to the final bell, was genuinely worried about my eyesight.”
Sunny lost his IBF flyweight crown and suffered his first defeat on a record that now reads 20-1 (4 KOs). WBO champ Rodriguez, 23, is 19-0. One of the most telling statistics is the 12 knockouts. Jesse is a lower-weight puncher, which makes him a dangerous proposition for any rival.
The UK woe continued on the undercard as Peter McGrail dominated pretty much every second of his bout against Ja’Rico O’Quinn. Apart from the final punch landed by the Detroit underdog that caught McGrail napping and flicked his lights off in round five.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev held too much firepower for Kevin Gonzalez, belatedly stopping the Mexican in the eighth. Gonzalez’s corner and the referee were almost as brave as he was. Despite a feeling-out first couple of rounds, once MJ got the measure of his foe and started landing body shots, the writing was on the wall.
Birmingham southpaw Galal Yafai improved to 6-0 with a fast-paced 10-round win over decent yardstick Rocco Santomauro.
PBC signs a deal with Amazon Prime
After parting ways with Showtime, the PBC has rocked up at Amazon Prime. Let’s review the official press release (in italics) and see if we can determine what is to come.
Today [December 7, 2023], Prime Video and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) announced a landmark, multiyear rights agreement to deliver viewers the boxing industry’s most significant events, providing fans with year-round access to the best matchups featuring the biggest stars in boxing.
How can it be a landmark when DAZN has already changed the game with online streaming?! Anyway, I digress. Multiyear could mean anything. A minimum of two you’d expect. What are the chances of the likes of Shakur Stevenson (contract due to expire) or Teofimo Lopez joining the best stars in boxing soon?
Please write any other names you think might come over in the chat box below.
Amazon is a worldwide behemoth brand that will appeal to any fighter. Prime has so many subscribers this has to be a boost for boxing as it lurches further into live sports. That said, boxing isn’t an entirely new venture for Amazon. It has already televised the sport in Japan. Top Rank secured that deal in late 2021.
PBC features over 150 active fighters across various weight divisions, including top contenders and current world champions. Since its debut in 2015, PBC has presented the biggest mega-events in the sport of boxing, including 2023 blockbusters David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant, Gervonta “Tank” Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford, and Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo. The addition of a world-class sports property like PBC is another one of the many benefits that come with Prime, which provides unparalleled savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership.
Since its debut in 2015, the PBC has burned through a tremendous amount of money. However, last year was a solid effort, as the blockbuster list above shows us. Many of those names will return for 2024, at least once.
The single membership claim asks why you would need to go anywhere else for sporting entertainment while simultaneously buying copious amounts of crap you don’t need and having it delivered within hours. Al Haymon and Amazon have got you covered on every level.
I’ve heard it mentioned in other quarters that the likes of Canelo, Gervonta, Crawford etc, are not 100 per cent guaranteed to be part of the new deal. It seems strange that they would go elsewhere. Not sure I agree with that view.
Prime Video will distribute PBC’s industry-leading pay-per-view (PPV) events in the U.S, with the first event anticipated for March 2024. PBC PPV fights will be available for all viewers to purchase, regardless of Prime membership. Additionally, in the U.S. and select countries, Prime Video will exclusively stream a PBC Championship Boxing series of events, showcasing top matchups among boxing’s current and rising stars. Details on specific cards, dates, and locations will be announced at a later date. In addition to the live PBC events, Prime Video will continue to grow its Original sports content offerings, with behind-the-scenes PBC docuseries, live weigh-ins, as well as on-demand access to previous events, highlights, archival footage, and more.
Interesting how they get down and dirty into the pay-per-view chat straight away. Some read this and assumed it would only be PPVs. That’s not the case, although I would expect around 5-6 a year. The rest of the programming will be provided as part of the package. There will almost certainly be an early-year show before March.
“We are thrilled to join with Premier Boxing Champions to bring the best boxers in the world to Prime Video, and to give more fans than ever the chance to experience these must-see events,” said Marie Donoghue, VP, U.S. sports content & partnerships, Amazon. “With live coverage of PBC action throughout the calendar year, Prime Video continues to bring viewers in the U.S. and around the world the best in sports.”
Seeing as many people already subscribe to Prime, the reaction has been mostly positive. There’s no additional subscription required to an unknown service.
“Premier Boxing Champions is very proud to partner with Prime Video to showcase our world-class boxers and events. With Prime’s incredible reach and unprecedented marketing power, we’re very excited to reach new audiences for our sport as we continue to present the most exciting, competitive and biggest fights in Boxing,” said Bruce Binkow, CEO, Integrated Sports, exclusive agency for PBC.
This is just more of the above, but from Binkow, who used to work a lot with Floyd, if I recall correctly.
Fans will be able to watch PBC live at home or on the go, and across hundreds of compatible devices, streaming from the web, or using the Prime Video app on smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, game consoles, and connected TVs. For a complete list of compatible devices, visit amazon.com/howtostream.
This is just some functional information on accessing Amazon Prime content if you don’t know already. The PBC has done a good job tapping into the older generation of fans who are still used to phoning up to order a pay-per-view or hitting the red button on their television set. It will be interesting to see how many comfortably cross over to this new venture.
The broadcasting team are adamant that Showtime is no longer of this world. Will they all head over to Amazon, given the fact that PBC are handling their own production? Stephen Espinoza has been apparently re-employed for continuity. Therefore, Mauro, Al, Brian Custer and the squad could theoretically follow them across.
Magical Morrell heads Showtime exit with Agbeko KO
It felt more like a close-the-door-and-run rather than an overly nostalgic trip down memory lane for a Showtime network that had been on the go for 37 years.
At least the final installment was entertaining when David Morrell cemented his status as one of the most exciting fighters in boxing. The biggest challenge will be finding someone to fight him next.
For the winner, it's David Benavidez or nothing. Whether Benavidez would entertain such a perceived step down, as he stands on the cusp of a Canelo payday, is another matter.
Morrell’s latest victim, Sena Agbeko, fared little better than previous replacement Yamaguchi Falcao, who was destroyed in a round.
Agbeko called for the fight, had shown toughness in the past and was expected to cause a few problems. He didn’t. The Ghanaian was overwhelmed and beaten up in round two.
Come-forward Christian Mbilli or backfoot Caleb Plant would present different problems for Morrell. The Cuban has fantastic athletic qualities. His ability to close off distance and get stuck into people makes him extremely dangerous to all rivals.
Chris Colbert and Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela rolled back their rivalry, with Valenzuela gaining the definitive win he felt he should’ve got the first time.
Rayo called out Tank Davis after bludgeoning Colbert in the early rounds before scoring a highlight reel KO. The loser was once being manipulated to fight Davis, but his career has seriously fallen off the rails.
After forcing a Colbert count in the first round, Valenzuela landed a crushing sixth-round right hook as his opponent lay on the ropes. Colbert is slick and tough but needs to move back down to 130 pounds rather than receiving the bombs at lightweight.
In a fan-friendly show opener that was probably ill-advised for both participants yet brought back a nostalgic feel of Showtime’s golden era, Robert Guerrero and Andre Berto dusted off their respective pipes and slippers to go at it one last time.
Guerrero is nicknamed ‘The Ghost’, and this contained two fading spectres trying to recreate the glory of their earthly presence, having clashed for the first time 11 years ago.
Fighting at a contracted weight of 149 pounds, commentator Mauro Ranallo explained how Berto had been dropped 10 times and Guerrero eight times during their storied careers.
Berto found his way to the canvas numerous times here. Referee Robert Hoyle ruled the feet were tangling more than punches landing. The battle heated up as the pair slowed down, standing in the trenches to let the leather fly before Guerrero nailed a 10-round unanimous victory.
Even though this fight kind of worked as part of Showtime’s exit strategy, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near the broadcast if Julio Cesar Martinez’s outing hadn’t been stopped due to visa issues.
Nuthouse Notes
Jake Paul returned to his exciting old ways last Friday evening, delivering a thumping first-round knockout of Andre August. The uppercut finish was sublime, albeit against a mentally overmatched opponent. August was a quivering wreck and the venue was decidedly more leisure centre than arena as Paul’s popularity dwindles.
Cuba’s Yoenis Tellez reinforced his status as a hot prospect by icing Livan Navarro in the 10th and final round with a slicing left hook.
Shadasia Green’s reputation as a mythical destroyer was rudely dismissed by veteran brawler Franchon Crews-Dezurn, who ouhustled Green over 10 forgettable rounds.
Media Credits: DAZN, Premier Boxing, Amazon Prime/PBC, DAZN, Matchroom Boxing.
Thanks for reading! Drop a little heart or even a comment if you get a minute. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Speak to you next week…
About Steve: Experienced boxing writer, author of 8 books and podcaster of over 500 eps. 20 years in the sport. Covered hundreds of shows for newspapers and Boxing News magazine. Chief video script writer for Motivedia channel and BN+. For enquiries: stevenwellings1982@gmail.com.
What a performance by Bam Rodriguez! You hit the nail on the head - Sunny just didn't have the power to keep Bam off him. But it was a brilliant fight and a great advertisement for the lighter weight classes in boxing. I just had a look at Bam's Boxrec and he fought at 126 lbs in his fourth professional fight. Not sure how realistic it is, yet I would love to see him compete at featherweight in the future. He is only 23 and still has time to grow. As for Sunny, he can definitely come again and regain a world title at flyweight.