Charlie Edwards has taken a significant step toward a potential world-title opportunity after defeating Thomas Essomba, the reigning European bantamweight champion, by points at York Hall in London.
While Edwards secured an emphatic points victory, the match itself was more closely contested than the scorecards suggested. Throughout the 12 rounds, Edwards consistently outworked Essomba, although the Cameroonian managed to land more impactful shots, particularly with his left hook.
Following his victory, Edwards expressed interest in facing Liverpudlian Paul Butler and indicated a desire to challenge any of the Japanese world champions. “Thomas is a tricky operator,” Edwards remarked. “I’m a world champion; I want to fight champions. I’ve got options everywhere. All the champions are in Japan. I’d like to go out there.”
With this win, Edwards records the 20th victory of his professional career as he aims to become a two-weight champion within the next year. He previously held the WBC flyweight title from 2018 to 2019 but vacated it due to difficulties in making the 112-pound weight limit. After 19 months away from the ring, Edwards has returned to form with three wins in the last 15 months.
The fight had personal significance for Edwards, as his brother, Sunny, serves as Essomba’s manager. Sunny was seen wearing a long fur coat, applauding both competitors as they made their entrances. Though he chose not to be in Essomba’s corner, he remained close to his fighter during the introductions and appeared anxious throughout the bout, particularly as Edwards built an early lead over the first five rounds.
Essomba, aged 36, mounted a strong comeback in the latter half of the fight, shifting from a counter-punching style to landing significant blows on Edwards, notably a right hand in the ninth round and a combination in the tenth. Despite this resurgence, Edwards maintained his composure and boxed strategically in the final two rounds.
Ultimately, the judges scored the contest in favor of Edwards, with tallies of 117-111, 116-112, and 118-111 reflecting his performance. In his post-fight interview at ringside, Edwards donned a Butler T-shirt and referred to his matchup with Essomba as another “personal” encounter, noting that Butler is trained by Joe Gallagher, his former coach.
