Sunny Edwards took one last opportunity to get inside the head of his latest challenger.
It didn’t quite take, as Chile’s Andres Campos was all business during their obligatory post weigh-in staredown. The moment came after both boxers were under the flyweight limit for their twelve-round, IBF title fight Saturday on DAZN from OVO Arena Wembley in London, England.
Edwards checked in at a career lightest 111 pounds in his latest bid to prove he’s the best flyweight in the world. Campos was 111.6 pounds ahead of his first title fight and in an effort to become Chile’s first-ever major titleholder.
Croydon’s Edwards (19-0, 4KOs) will attempt the fourth defense of the IBF title he claimed in an April 2021 win over long-reigning titlist Moruti Mthalane at the famed York Hall. In his most recent start, Edwards outpointed Nicaragua’s Felix Alvarado (38-3, 33KOs)—a former IBF junior flyweight titlist—over twelve rounds last November 11 in Sheffield where he now lives and trains.
Edwards is listed as a healthy -1600 favorite by bet365 sportsbook, who views Campos, as a +900 underdog for his first scheduled twelve-round contest. The Tony Tolj-managed contender scored a fourth-round knockout of Carlos Ruben Ruiz on January 21 in his hometown of Santiago de Chile.
Edwards-Campos is one of three major title fights on Saturday’s show.
Melbourne’s Cherneka Johnson (15-1, 6KOs) attempts the second defense of her IBF junior featherweight title but enters as the underdog as she faces Ellie Scotney (6-0, 0KOs) of Catford, London.
Johnson was 120 ½ pounds for her first career fight outside of Australia. Scotney was 121 ¼ pounds and is viewed by bet365 as a -500 to become the latest Shane McGuigan boxer to claim a major title. Scotney’s stablemate, Chris Billam-Smith won the WBO cruiserweight belt in a May 27 victory over unbeaten Lawrence Okolie.
Nina Hughes (5-0, 2KOs) was 117.2 pounds for the first defense of the WBA bantamweight title she claimed in an upset ten-round win over Jamie Mitchell last November 26 in Dubai. The 40-year-old mother of two from Billericay, Essex will face Wolverhampton’s Katie Healy (6-0, 0KOs), who was 117.3 pounds for her first title challenge.
DAZN Main undercard, 2:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. GMT
Johnny Fisher (8-0, 7KOs), Romford, London, 238.4 pounds vs. Emilio Salas (7-4-1, 3KOs), San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, 229.9 pounds—8 rounds, heavyweight
Cheavon Clarke (5-0, 4KOs), Gravesend, Kent, 199.2 pounds vs. David Jamieson (10-2, 7KOs), East Kilbride, Scotland, 199 pounds—10 rounds, cruiserweight
DAZN ‘Before The Bell’, 11:15 a.m. ET/4:15 p.m. GMT
Youssef Khoumari (15-1-1, 6KOs), Wembley, London, 129 ½ pounds vs. Reece Bellotti (15-5, 13KOs) Watford, Hertfordshire, 129 ¼ pounds—10 rounds, junior lightweight
George Liddard (2-0, 2KOs), Billericay, Essex, 162 pounds vs. Nikolas Dzurnak (5-3-2, 5KOs), Vyskov, Czech Republic, 160.3 pounds—6 rounds, middleweight
Shannon Ryan (4-0, 0KOs), Watford, Hertfordshire, 115 pounds vs. Martina Bernile (5-1-1, 1KO), Milan, Italy, 114 ¼ pounds—8 rounds, junior bantamweight
Muhammad Ali (1-0, 0KOs), Leicester, Leicestershire, 123 ½ pounds vs. Bryan Castro (2-5-1, 1KO), Gerona, Spain, 125.3 pounds—4 rounds, junior featherweight
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
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