By Norm Frauenheim –
GLENDALE, Ariz. – It’s a boxing market built on the lightest weight classes.
It started with Michael Carbajal and was enhanced last December by Juan Francisco Estrada’s narrow decision over Ramon “Chocolatito” Gonzalez for the super-flyweight title last December.
Down scale has always been upscale in the Phoenix area and that figures to continue on Dec. 16 when Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards fight in a flyweight unification bout at Desert Diamond Arena in suburban Glendale on Dec. 16.
15 Rounds confirmed reports by International Boxing News and Boxing Scene that DAZN plans to stage the fight at Desert Diamond.
As of Thursday, the bout was still not included in the arena’s listings. Also, the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission was still not aware that DAZN was planning to stage the bout at Desert Diamond, which will be the site Saturday of an ESPN card featuring Oscar Valdez Jr.-versus-Emanuel Navarrete for a junior-lightweight title.
However, there has been speculation that Edwards-Rodriguez was headed to Arizona ever since they agreed on the deal.
Location, location, location. The Phoenix metro area is the right real estate for Edwards-Rodriguez. Promoter Eddie Hearn saw that in December when a crowd of more than 9,000 showed up at Desert Diamond for Estrada-Chocolatito.
Little guys often get buried on bigger cards in cities like Vegas or Los Angeles. But the Phoenix crowd knew who Estrada and Chocolatito were. It also knew what they were doing throughout 12 close rounds, which ended with Estrada winning a majority decision.
Turns out, many in that crowd were sons and daughters of Carbalal fans, the first American junior-flyweight to be promoted in a major way by Top Rank throughout most of his Hall of Fame run from 1988-through-1999.
The bout will be Rodriguez’ second in the Phoenix area. Rodriguez (18-0 13 KOs), of San Antonio, scored a unanimous decision over Carlos Cuadras in February 2022 at the Footprint Center, the Suns home arena in downtown Phoenix.
Edwards (20-0 4 KOs), of London, will be making his first appearance in the United States. He holds the International Boxing Federation’s 112-pound title. Rodriguez is the World Boxing Organization’s flyweight champion.
