Charlie Edwards

Bio

Right then. Charlie Edwards is a former WBC flyweight world champion from Croydon, South London, and one of the most technically gifted little men British boxing has produced in the last decade. He won the WBC strap at 25 with a class points win over Cristofer Rosales in December 2018, and at his peak he was a genuine joy to watch — quick feet, sharp shot selection, a head for ring craft that belied his age.

The career has had its bumps. He lost the title controversially to Julio Cesar Martinez before the result was reversed to a no-contest, then took an extended break, moved up to super flyweight, and has been chasing a second world title ever since.

Tonight at York Hall, against Sikho Nqothole, is what he is calling his last go. The IBF super flyweight final eliminator. Win and he is the mandatory. Lose and the conversation around comeback fights gets very short. Make no mistake — Edwards at his best is still as good as anyone in the division, and a final eliminator at home is exactly the night he has been training for.

Trains with the same circle that have kept him sharp through the start-stop years. The hand speed is still there, the brain has not gone anywhere, and the body has come down to 115 cleanly. If you know, you know — at the very best of him, Charlie is a brilliant little fighter.