Jesse Rodriguez vs Sunny Edwards summary online, round by round, stats and highlights
Jesse Rodriguez hands Sunny Edwards first ever defeat, unifies World Flyweight titles
Bam Rodriguez simply too much for Sunny Edwards to handle
Coming into this bout, there were questions about Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez's pedigree. Accusations that he had not yet faced anyone of any consequence.
Well now he has. Sunny Edwards is a huge opponent, a world champion. And Bam Rodriguez simply swept him aside, laying to rest once and for all any talk of a manicured career.
As the fight got underway, Sunny Edwards looked to be in control, taking the first round. Bam got on top of him in the second however, and while Sunny came back in the third and fourth, that second round would be a key moment for the night.
In a contest between a fast boxer and a pure puncher, the boxer normally has the advantage. Unless, that is, the puncher manages to land clean. And that is exactly what happened in that second round.
Rodriguez's booming punches started Sunny Edwards' eye swelling and opened up a cut on it. From the fifth round onward, it was all one way traffic. Rodriguez was setting up and teeing off his shots, while Sunny Edwards was put into a position that he has never been in before. That of simply trying to survive each round.
And then the unthinkable happened. Sunny Edwards, who had never been off his feet in his entire career, was dumped face first into the canvas by a thunderous straight left.
When taken as a whole, the fight was an incredible display by Jesse Rodriguez. He figured out one of the smartest fighters in boxing. He out-jabbed and out-moved one of the best stick-and-move fighters in boxing. He out-punched a fighter who was widely seen as too good to be hit hard.
In doing so, Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez unifies the WBO and IBF World Flyweight titles. Where he goes from here is still to be determined. But one thing is clear. Going forward, it is Bam, and only Bam, who is in the driver's seat.
GOODBYE!!!
That is going to do it for our live coverage of Jesse Rodriguez vs Sunny Edwards. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did!
Keep abreast of all boxing and sports news with Diario AS USA and stick with us as we bring you a full calendar of top-notch boxing live.
We will return with live boxing coverage next Saturday for perhaps the biggest event of the year, with Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin and Deontay Wilder vs Joseph Parker headline a star-studded card in Saudi Arabia.
Until then, good night and God bless!
What a left hand!
The first time Sunny Edwards has been down in his career and what a peach of a left hand it was from Bam Rodriguez!
Jesse Rodriguez wins by TKO
Sunny is back to moving again, and Rodriguez is trying to find the in. He lands the jab and Sunny's mouthguard comes out. Rodriguez tries to unload on him and Sunny is really in trouble now.
Sunny lands a huge right hand and then a great left hook. He is still in the fight, but Rodriguez is still coming forward.
Rodriguez catches Sunny with a huge straight right and sends Sunny to the floor, face first! That is the first time in his career that he has been down! He beats the count and the bell comes, but Sunny's corner throw in the towel!
Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez has unified the WBO and IBF World Flyweight titles!
Bam lands a heavy left hand and Sunny comes back with a combination. Sunny is landing great shots, but nothing like the kind of power that Rodriguez has.
Rodriguez lands a great one-two and Sunny is looking fatigued. His legs look not exactly shaky but not as lithe and quick as they were.
Rodriguez is teeing off on him now, landing big left hands one after the other. Sunny is now immobile!
Both fighters are out and moving again, Rodriguez trying to make this a brawl, Sunny trying to get this back into a stick and move boxing match.
Rodriguez is going for the big shot, throwing single hard punches, trying to get that knockout. Sunny is caught with a right hand and looks hurt.
Sunny comes back and unloads on Bam, getting him into the corner and putting him under pressure. Now it is Rodriguez who is holding on!
Rodriguez catches Edwards off balance and he stumbles into the ropes. He isn't hurt but has to throw a flurry of shots to get out of trouble. Rodriguez is having more success here, countering the counter puncher.
Sunny lands a huge right hand now, this is back and forth!
Rodriguez throws another low blow and is warned by the referee, but a clash of heads sees a cut open up on Sunny Edwards' eye. He is having trouble with the blood in his eye. Rodriguez starts to unload on him! But before he can get the stoppage, Bam starts to showboat and Sunny turns the tables, laying into Rodriguez and getting him onto the ropes as the round ends.
Rodriguez comes out and lands a nice jab to the body. He needs to double these up. Single shots won't stop Edwards. Sunny lands a good shot to the body and Rodriguez tries to tie him up. Sunny makes it scrappy, ugly, yanking his hands out of the tie and throwing them in the clench.
Rodriguez lands a huge right hand and Edwards is stunned. He works his way through it and the round settles into it's normal run of things, but Sunny was rocked there.
The crowd is getting into the fight, loudly in favor of Rodriguez. Both fighters come out trying to establish themselves, and Edwards lands a great left hand before they grapple and Rodriguez slips to the floor. A slip, perhaps a push by Sunny. Definitely not a knockdown.
Sunny is switching between southpaw and orthodox and is starting to have some success with it, bringing shots in from different angles, and Bam looks perhaps a little shaken.
Rodriguez comes back with a right to the body and is made to pay for it with a great left to the jaw.
Rodriguez is looking a lot more confident here, making Sunny work more than he has in several fights. Edwards now switches to southpaw, perhaps to protect that eye. He is getting hit more than normal and Bam is warming into that. Sunny wants to be careful with this strategy, he doesn't want to trade punches with Bam.
Sunny switches back to orthodox and goes back on the attack, landing a great right hand and getting Bam's attention.
Sunny Edwards and his corner are complaining about low blows in the first round, telling the referee that there were four shots below the belt. But his shorts are being worn high so the referee is having none of it.
As the round starts, Rodriguez comes out and catches Sunny with a nice right hook, and does some good work to the body but then Edwards stops the attack cold with a peach of a check hook!
Edwards' eye is starting to show signs of wear as Bam is snapping that jab onto it. He needs to watch that as the fight wears on.
Rodriguez is now throwing good feints, getting Sunny to be a bit more wary.
Both fighters are out of their corners quickly and trying to establish the jab. Bam works out of the southpaw stance, normally an awkward look for orthodox fighters, but Edwards has seen it all before.
Rodriguez throws a hard left to the body and Edwards comes back with a clean left jab, snapped to the face. Rodriguez comes forward, looking to make his power differential pay dividends, but he is too predictable and getting caught on the counter each time. He is not throwing feints and Sunny can time him up.
Jesse Rodriguez vs Sunny Edwards
Now the main event is here! Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez will lay his WBO World Flyweight title on the line as Sunny Edwards puts his IBF World Flyweight title up for the fight. Both are undefeated, both are world champions. But after tonight, there can be only one.
Six knockdowns!
This should have never gotten to this point. Gonzalez is all heart, but a boxer needs to be protected better than this.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev wins by TKO
Again, Gonzalez's corner send him out and again the referee allows the onslaught to continue. Akhmadaliev lands a huge uppercut and Gonzalez is down again. For the love of God, stop the fight!
Gonzalez staggers to his feet and the referee unbelievably allows the fight to continue! This is immoral!
Akhmadaliev lands at will and Gonzalez is wobbled, on legs that he has no command over and finally the referee does his job and steps in to stop this.
Gonzalez is asked by his corner if he wants to continue and he says yes. You have to hand it to him, he has heart! But that is not a question that the corner should ask. A warrior will always want to continue and die on his shield. They should stop this.
They don't and Akhmadaliev delivers more punishment. Somehow, Gonzalez survives it.
Akhmadaliev lands a huge uppercut and Gonzalez's knees buckle! He is on the ground! He beats the count but is put on the ground again with another uppercut. His legs are gone! How he gets up again is anybody's guess. Another shot and Gonzalez is down again! That may have been a slip, but he is all out of sorts! Somehow he survives the round.
Akhmadaliev is landing almost at will. Gonzalez is game but clearly outclassed here.
Gonzalez is in horrendous trouble, on the ropes and bleeding. Akhmadaliev looks like he can't miss and is in clear control of the fight now.
Gonzalez finds a bit of success and gains some confidence with that left hand, but Akhmadaliev is still working that jab. The Mexican is frustrated and looking like he is out of his depth.
Akhmadaliev continues to work his jab and Gonzlez is looking for a big left hand but can't find it. The jab is still working nicely for Akhmadaliev.
Akhmadaliev looks to the body and has success with it. Gonzalez comes back with a clean right hook but Akhmadaliev works well behind that jab and is having success.
Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Kevin Gonzalez
Now for a WBA world title eliminator bout between Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Kevin Gonzalez. This bout is scheduled for twelve rounds.
Galal Yafai wins by UD
The judges saw it 99-91, 98-93, 97-93 all for Galal Yafai who is now the WBC International Flyweight champion.
Santomauro comes out banging and perhaps has his best round of the fight, but it was too little too late. Yafai won every round, and maybe this one as well.
Yafai is in the driving seat throughout the round, with the tide rolling his way, but right at the end of the round, Santomauro lands a huge right hand, the best one that he has landed all fight.
Santomauro comes out trying to bum rush Yafai, trying to turn the fight into a brawl. Yafai is happy to back out of it, move his feet and turn Santomauro around. The crowd are restless, unhappy with the boxing clinic that they are witnessing, booing loudly.
Santomauro comes out banging and looking like perhaps he senses the desperation of his situation. Yafai weathers it and settles back into his groove, moving well, spinning Santomauro around, changing angles and that cut on Santomauro's eye is now pouring down his face.
Yafai is in control, spinning Santomauro and landing clean, accurate shots. He is winning every round so far and is looking very confident.
Santomauro comes out with a cut on his eye and the referee takes a good look at it. His face has taken a beating. They fight on and Santomauro is landing is single shots, but he needs to get to work with combinations. On the other side, Yafai is cruising, landing shots at will.
Santomauro has a look of working his way back into some kind of attack. He is taking a ton of shots, but he is constantly throwing back and landing nice shots of his own. Make no mistake, Yafai is still in control, but Santomauro is still there.
Yafai is looking settled and comfortable, turning Santomauro at will, but he is being made to pay with stiff shots to the body as he comes in. Santomauro is moving well, but he is flummoxed a bit by Yafai's movement and changing of angles.
Yafai comes out banging and lands a big right hand. Santomauro is in real trouble here right from the outset. He manages to weather it and throw some shots back, blunting the attack and giving himself time to catch his breath.
The round settles into a trading war, and Yafai comes out the better for it. He is slick and moves well, slipping shots and turning Santomauro around.
Santomauro is charging forward, trying to bully his way in against a faster, cleaner Yafai. He is working the body well and Yafai is countering well. Santomauro lands a lot of stuff downstairs but it is Yafai who catches the eye, rocking Santomauro with thirty seconds to go in the round.
Galal Yafai vs Rocco Santomauro
We now move on to another title fight as Rocco Santomauro takes on Galal Yafai for the WBC International Flyweight title. The bout is scheduled to go ten rounds.
AND THE NEW...
WIth that Ja'Rico O'Quinn is the new WBA Intercontinental Super Bantamweight champion!
Ja'Rico O'Quinn wins by KO
McGrail is having his way with O'Quinn now, battering him from pillar to post. To be fair to O'Quinn, he is still probing, still trying to find a way in, but McGrail is just dancing around.
Out of nowhere, O'Quinn lands a huge right hook! McGrail goes down in a heap! He is not getting up from that! That is unbelievable! In a fight that he had no chance in, a battle that he was being humiliated in, Ja'Rico O'Quinn pulls off the miracle, landing a huge shot!
That is the magic of boxing. One punch can change the entire script! What a win!
McGrail comes out of the box and throws a right hook to set up a straight, hard left hand that sent O'Quinn to the matt! Again, O'Quinn does not look to be seriously hurt, but that was yet another display of that explosive power that McGrail has to accompany his incredible footwork and speed.
O'Quinn looks to be more cautious now, confused, not sure where the shots are coming from.
O'Quinn comes out looking to bully his way back into the match, but McGrail is just too fast to be put under any kind of pressure. O'Quinn takes some punishment on the counter as he tries to push forward, but in the end, McGrail is doing whatever he wants to.
McGrail comes out fast and awkward in that southpaw stance, giving shades of Lomachenko or Usyk in his movement, very fast and light on his feet.
With a minute twenty gone in the round, McGrail lands a banging left on O'Quinn's chin, knocking him flat onto his backside! He doesn't look hurt in any way and gets straight back up but that was a huge moment for McGrail.
McGrail comes out fast and his footwork is eye catching. He darts in and out, but O'Quinn manages to bully his way in with a spiteful body blow.
McGrail works his way back outside and catches O'Quinn with a sweet right hook, rocking his man.
Main Card: Peter McGrail vs Ja'Rico O'Quinn
With the preliminary bouts out of the way, we now move on to the main fight card. The first clash tonight will be Ja'Rico O'Quinn taking on Peter McGrail at Super Bantamweight. The bout is scheduled to go ten rounds.
Mujica's corner saves their man
The punishment that he took was brutal! Mujica is a warrior and he would have stayed in there, taking more damage.
PRELIMS: Arturo Cardenas vs Carlos Mujica
In a tough test, Arturo Cardenas remains undefeated as he swarmed Carlos Mujica and got the stoppage in an impressive display of power and boxing ability.
Crowd boos Bostan
The right fighter got the win, but clearly the crowd were not impressed with the wide scorecards, booing the decision and throughout the post fight interview.
PRELIMS: Junaid Bostan vs Gordie Russ II
What a war! Two evenly matched fighters traded, slugged, boxed, moved, and put on an outstanding show!
Junaid Bostan came into this as the heavy favorite, but Gordie Russ II gave him the hardest night's work he has ever had, rocking him heavily in the opening rounds, but in the end, Bostan's footwork and speed was too much for him and the judges ruled it 79-73 in Junaid Bostan's favor as Star Boy moves to 8-0.
That was perhaps a more wide score than the reality of the fight - I personally scored it 77-75 for Bostan.
PRELIMS: Albert Gonzalez vs Alexis Eduardo Molina
Albert "Chop Chop" Gonzalez moves to 7-0 as he lives up to his name and hacks Alexis Molina down, swarming him with heavy blows before delivering a vicious liver shot that dropped Molina in the second round.
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Rodriguez, who goes by “Bam,” is looking to go by another name soon, though - unified world champion.
Our own Reem Abdalazem takes you through the paces right here.
The purses for fights in the lower weight categories are not very profitable, but due to the hype for this fight, both contenders are expected to earn the most substantial payday of their careers.
Our own Svetozar Pavlovic takes a look at the details here.
PRELIMS: Joe McGrail vs Edgar Ortiz Jr.
Liverpool fighter Joe McGrail moves to 8-0 with a withering American debut as he drops Edgar Ortiz Jr four times before the referee stepped in to put a halt to the carnage in the second round.
The countdown for one of the most exciting fights in the second half of the year has begun. Jesse Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards will meet in the ring in a bout where both men will be looking to become the unified champion in the 112 pounds category.
Our own Fidel Rubio takes a look at the undercard matchups here.
The Full Card
Jesse Rodriguez vs Sunny Edwards (WBO and IBF flyweight titles)
Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs Kevin Gonzalez (Super Bantamweight)
Galal Yafai vs Rocco Santomauro (WBC International Flyweight)
Peter McGrail vs Ja'Rico O'Quinn (Super Bantamweight)
Junaid Bostan vs Gordie Russ II (Super Welterweight)
Joe McGrail vs Edgar Ortiz Jr. (Featherweight)
The main card is set to get underway at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
Age: 23
Stance: Southpaw
Height: 5ft 4in
Reach: 67”
Record: 18–00 (11 KOs)
Title: WBO Flyweight (2023, 1 defenses)
Sunny Edwards
Age: 27
Stance: Orthodox
Height: 5ft 3in
Reach: 60”
Record: 20-0-0 (4 KOs)
Title: IBF Flyweight (2021, 4 defenses)
WELCOME!!!
Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the highly anticipated title unification bout between Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Sunny Edwards from Glendale, Arizona’s Desert Diamond Arena.
This is the fight that has every fight fan’s mouth drooling! Two undefeated world champions putting their belts on the line as they both attempt to unify the titles.
Making the bout even more tasty is the fact that this is almost a pick-em contest. Bam Rodriguez packs more power, of that there is no question. But Edwards is as crafty as they come and his speed and boxing skill can frustrate a heavy puncher.
There is a feeling around boxing circles that the level of Rodriguez’s competition has been somewhat thin, and while that may be a bit harsh - he did after all previously defend the Super Flyweight belt three times before dropping down to take the WBO World Flyweight title - there is no question that Sunny Edwards will be his stiffest competition yet.
For Sunny Edwards, this will be his fifth defense of his IBF World Flyweight title. He lacks punch power, but more than makes up for it with a blistering boxing ability. He has speed and cunning in spades and can impress with his skill before getting out of the way, the classic “hit and don’t get hit” pugilist. What is more to the point is that he can do it all night and potentially frustrate Rodriguez in the process.