EDWARDS PLANS ‘ELITE’ TITLE DEFENCE AS BATESON AND MASOUD CLASH

SHEFFIELD, NOVEMBER 9 – Sunny Edwards intends to live up to his star billing as the best flyweight on the planet by making light work of Felix Alvarado on Friday.

Edwards came face-to-face with his dangerous mandatory challenger at today’s press conference ahead of their IBF world title showdown at Probellum Sheffield later this week.

The top-level flyweight showdown headlines a major card at the Utilita Arena, with Jack Bateson vs Shabaz Masoud acting as the brilliant co-main event – and tensions boiled over when the British rivals squared off.

Security had to intervene as a heated exchange between the pair became physical and the anticipation for their British super bantamweight title final eliminator has been ramped up several notches.

But Edwards, known as ‘Showtime’, is the main attraction in the Steel City this week and he plans on proving why there is no other 112lbs fighter that can touch him.

The unbeaten IBF world flyweight champion, Sunny Edwards said: “Alvarado is a great champion from the weight below but I genuinely think I’m past his level, I believe I am at elite level.
“We’ll find out if this will be my toughest fight. I’ve had ‘tough’ fights, but I’ve made them not look that.”

Probellum’s Head of Talent Relations, Sam Jones said: “Alvarado is a fantastic challenger, a world class challenger but he is dealing with the best flyweight in the world. Sunny Edwards has pound-for-pound quality.”

Felix Alvarado, who has 33 KO wins on his fearsome record, said: “The opponents Sunny has fought are different to me and on Friday, he will find this out.”

Bateson and Masoud had kept a lid on their simmering rivalry at the press conference until they posed for face-to-face photographs.

Words were exchanged with increasing intensity when Masoud lost his temper and pushed Bateson, forcing security guards to step in and keep the peace.