Sunny Edwards on the complexities of managing a boxer who will fight his brother

Sunny Edwards believes his brother Charlie has discovered the “perfect” trainer in Stephen Smith ahead of his fight in September with Thomas Essomba, who he continues to manage.

The 31-year-old Charlie Edwards challenges Essomba for his European bantamweight title on September 27 at London’s York Hall, on what represents the occasion of his second fight under Smith.

It was in April when he relaunched his stalled career by outpointing Georges Ory, and when Smith was joined in his corner by Sunny Edwards – so vocal a critic of his brother’s former working relationship with Joe Gallagher, who incidentally once trained Smith.

Victory over the 36-year-old Essomba would deliver to Charlie Edwards the return to world level he has long sought, and Sunny Edwards – who first entered management when recruited by Essomba to guide his career and who therefore knows both fighters best – considers his previously troubled brother to be in a “great place”.

“They’ve got a good partnership,” Sunny Edwards told BoxingScene. “They’re both at places in their careers where they’re perfect for each other. Steve’s really trying to prove himself. He was a great fighter; maybe he has that bee in the bonnet of never getting the world title over the line but getting ever so close. 

“He’s now working with a fighter quite early on in his career that would have been a world champion; won titles; has had exposure; also, who people were excited about but maybe don’t rate as highly, for whatever reason. Really, he’s in a great place, Charlie, with Steve. They’ve both got a lot to prove and they want to prove it with each other, and that’s evident in the amount of effort that’s going back and forth in their relationship, and it’s good to see. 

“Where he put himself last out is probably one of the worst places any boxer in Britain could put themselves, and I made that very, very clear. Not only that, it completely stifled his career – the moment he started relying on and speaking to his younger brother again, I introduced him to his now-promoter [Wasserman]. When you’re a bit more easy to work with because you haven’t got a leech lying and draining your energy, attached to you as your coach and manager, then your little brother can pull in a favour and get you signed to Channel 5.”

Sunny Edwards expects to fight, in November in Birmingham, his leading domestic rival Galal Yafai, by when he will know whether he will be attempting to guide Essomba into another big fight or working to rebuild his career.

“I’ve been working on this for months,” he said. “Me and a sponsor had to pay Thomas Essomba – him and his opponent, and the EBU lot coming over – to defend his title against his mandatory in Sheffield just to make this possible. That came out of my pocket. I don’t even take money off Thomas – I think he deserves that from me, because he was the first fighter to trust me to manage his career.

“Boxing is never personal when it’s two people I know getting in a boxing ring. Do you know how many times it happens? I can name two or three times right now. Lyndon [Arthur], my best friend, versus Liam Cameron, who trains my son and is a friend and stablemate. This happens all the time when you’re involved in boxing like I am. I care about opportunities; I care about platforms. I care about my fighters getting the best for them and me delivering it, because that’s what they deserve off me. On Thomas’ side, Charlie was the best risk and best reward [balance] of all the other fights that are options. I’d rather Thomas fight Charlie Edwards than Andrew Cain in his next fight – that’s the truth. That’s why this fight’s happening. 

“Thomas has wanted to fight Charlie for years. Charlie turned down Thomas a couple of times – he pretends he never got offered him – [but] my memory’s far better than his. Thomas had nothing to offer him. When he accepted to fight me [Sunny Edwards won via decision in 2020], for the first couple of weeks he thought he was training to fight Charlie; he didn’t realise there was another Edwards brother; he didn’t realise I was a different person. I knew who Thomas was – I was a fan of his. But he didn’t realise I existed. He’s always wanted to fight my brother, because he’ll fight anyone – it’s not personal. 

“In Britain he’s been someone people don’t look at twice on the street; no support; he’s had to be a journeyman. His skill is way, way above that. If I got to two Olympics, how different would my life have been? When he came to me to manage him, I couldn’t believe it – he’s the first person who’s ever done that, and it really started my management career, so for that I’ll always deliver Thomas the best fight possible. 

“This fight is his best payday; biggest platform, and probably his biggest fight. He’s walking into the headline Channel 5, defending his European title against a former world champion that just happens to be the brother of his challenger. It’s a massive moment for him. Why would my feelings of, ‘One of you might lose…’ – every time two people go into the ring someone might lose. It’s not personal. Boxing means so much that it can never be personal. My relationship’s to boxing first. If two people should fight and are of a good level, the winner will go on and the loser can come back again. That’s boxing. It’s not about ego; protecting your “0” 30 times against bums and just beating up on people. That takes away from the sport. All I want is adding value. The reason we fall behind other sports is because we have to go months – years, sometimes – of a fight worth talking about in most people’s careers.”

Edwards was also asked how his family felt about the fight, and he responded: “My dad has always, always, always wanted me and my brother to fight, so him fighting Thomas – that fucking definitely means nothing to him. My dad’s been putting us in competition since we were eight years old, five years old; walking me into a room and proving that I can be better than my brother. My dad made us this way; [that’s] why you see some spill outs, even if it’s sometimes serious; my dad made us this way. 

“My dad wants me and him to fight, because he thinks – call him deluded; I would – that his boys are the best two boys that have ever come out of Britain. If anything, he thinks we’re the best fighters ever in boxing. He thinks the Klitschko brothers [Wladimir and Vitali], believe it or not, ain’t shit on the Edwards brothers. That’s what my dad thinks. He loves it. He wants to see me and my brother fight. He’s the reason for all of this. He actually does – that’s not a joke.”