Charlie Edwards standing at the door of destiny, with Thomas Essomba on the other side

Coffee shops, fabricators, landscape gardeners and boxing gyms. Every business opens its doors to attract customers and every successful business faces the same issues once work starts pouring in.

As a reputation grows and demand increases, the product line expands, the queues and delivery times get longer and although the customer service is good, it inevitably starts to lose that personal touch. 

The vast majority of people are happy to join the line because they know that they will receive a tried and tested, quality product. 

After all, the business is busy for a reason.

More and more people are beginning to look for a more personal, bespoke service. Changing a supplier is a risk but the time to find somebody providing the right service in the right style is usually time well spent and can mark the start of a long, successful relationship.

When Charlie Edwards set out to attack the second half of his career, he knew exactly what he needed. The former WBC flyweight champion decided to entrust his future to a virtual start-up and linked up with the talented and knowledgeable former fighter, Stephen Smith, who is just beginning his career as a trainer.

This weekend, the pair will have their second outing together when Edwards challenges Thomas Essomba for the European bantamweight title. 

“It’s the best decision I've ever made in my life,” Edwards, 19-1 (7 KOs), told BoxingScene.

“I've always gone to big, busy gyms and stuff. A lot of fighters do and it’s a craze, isn’t it? When all fighters go there [to one place], then they all follow them there and then they find out, ‘Oh, maybe he ain’t as good as we thought.’

“With Stephen, I know he’s a proper boxing person. I watched his career. He’s been through the whole process. He's been around the world in the biggest fights with his brothers [Callum, Liam and Paul].

“The experience that man holds at a young age. He’s fresh into his journey and he’s hungry for success. He shits over all these other fucking coaches who are in it for the money. It’s his passion. When two passionate people come together with a mindset of going to the highest of heights, there’s no wonder why this sparks a great journey, just like Andy Lee and Joseph Parker.

“We’re seeing it a lot lately now. Boxing’s changing, and the more experienced – actual experienced coaches – who have actually fought, who’ve actually gone to world title level, who have actually done that and not just blagged it with management and got a good fighter. They were already a good fighter, but now they've took full ownership of them and all this media bollocks and blah, blah, blah. It's been the best decision I’ve made in my career.”

Edwards is now 31 years old and experience has hardened him. It would have been easy for him to recruit a coach who was willing to tell him exactly what he wanted to hear in exchange for the opportunity. Smith isn’t that type of character. He was a talented amateur who challenged for world titles and was respected for his technical prowess. He has seen what it takes to succeed at the highest level. 

“Since Stephen came on when we first started, just before December last year, straight away we linked,” Edwards said.

“Straight away, he was bringing the best out of me. Straight away, he was changing my style. Straight away, he was altering things.

“It’s constantly developing and learning. The thing is we’ve bonded so much more. It’s not like we’re just like, ‘Oh, that's my coach’ like all my other coaches through my career.

“It’s like, ‘That’s my mentor. That’s Mr. Miyagi to me.’ That's how we have bonded and developed our relationship.”

Edwards moved quickly, fighting for the IBF flyweight title in his ninth fight and winning the WBC version in his 15th.

Citing issues making 112lbs, Edwards vacated his world title following a controversial No Contest with Julio Cesar Martinez back in 2019 but rather than opening up a whole new range of possibilities, he quickly discovered that his status as a former champion counted for little.

He spent almost five years flitting between promoters and trainers and scrapping for opportunities but boxing six rounds against a Nicaraguan journeyman in a warehouse on the outskirts of Manchester last summer broke his heart. 

Edwards decided that, for better or worse, he had to control his own destiny. He became self-managed, linked up with Smith and arranged a promotional deal with Wasserman Boxing. 

He told the story of his time in the wilderness time and time again before returning to the ring and beating Georges Ory in April. He also said the usual things about wanting to put on a show to remind people exactly who he is but, really, beating the Frenchman was just a part of a much bigger picture. 

The night after boxing his way to a unanimous win, Edwards was in Manchester to watch Zelfa Barrett beat Jordan Gill. He sat quietly in the crowd, his face bearing a few marks and a smile of relief that he was back in the game. 

This time around, there is a bite to Edwards’ words. The warm welcome back into the fold hasn’t taken away the bitterness he still feels towards the business which treated him so harshly. He knows that now it really is time to remind people what he is capable of.

The real comeback of Charlie Edwards begins against Thomas Essomba this weekend. 

“It’s like Daniel Dubois. He went on his journey. We’ve just seen it. He resurged himself. He walked through the fire. He had to go with all the shit and all the people saying stuff about him,” Edwards said.

“I got hit on the floor by Julius Caesar Martinez, who then went and failed a bloody drug test, and then got signed by my old promoter. I’ve had to go through all this and battle mental health and battle all this shit and being left on the sidelines like no one cares about him. That’s created an inner demon in me, and now I’m a powerful human being.

“This chip on my shoulder is on my shoulder forever in this boxing career.

“I’ve set my goals. I’m out for legacy now. I want to become one of the best British fighters. I want to be a four-weight world champion. That is my goal. I’m setting the bar high.

“I’ve been through the years of turmoil and years of soul searching and years of working every single day, day in, day out and not taking no for an answer. What I’ve asked for and the dreams that I’ve put out to the universe, to God, is prepared me. I fully believe that I’m on my steps to destiny now.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79