Charlie Edwards: I'm Here to Stay, Andrew Selby Not Worth a W**k

By Elliot Foster

Charlie Edwards is delighted to have been handed such a lucrative opportunity so early on in his career.

The Croydon flyweight, 23, has been presented with a world title shot in what will be just his ninth fight, with the showdown being screened exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Edwards (7-0, 3 KOs) will fight for the eighth time in Berlin this weekend before taking on Johnriel Casimero, the Filipino IBF champion who has a record of 22-3 (14 KOs), on September 10 at London’s O2 Arena.

The fight will take place as part of the supporting cast to the colossal world middleweight title clash between pound-for-pound king Gennady Golovkin and IBF Welterweight ruler Kell Brook.

And Edwards, who is managed by MGM Marbella and lives in the Spanish city, is determined to prove that the chance of global glory isn’t one that has come too soon.

“This is my time to shine. This is my shot and believe me when I say that the belt’s staying in the UK once I’ve won it,” an elated Edwards told Boxing Scene shortly after the official announcement.

“People can say what they like about it being too early but it’s here and I’m not going to pass up the opportunity. I’m going to grab it with both hands and I’m here to stay.

“I want to win the belt at flyweight, dominate there and then move up to super-flyweight and bantamweight, moving through the divisions and winning world titles in all of them, provided I can stay on the right track and stay fit.”

English and WBC International Silver champion Edwards, whose last outing came on the undercard of Carl Frampton's world super-bantamweight title unification victory over Scott Quigg at Manchester Arena in February, has had his detractors in the past, having passed on the opening to fight fellow former Team GB star Andrew Selby for the British title.

But he insists that the move was the right one, which has resulted in him moving on to fighting for the sport's highest bauble.

“The fight with Selby will be there down the line, when it’s worth 10- or 20-times what we were offered to take it now.

“It’s a fight I want and it’s a fight I’ll have later on in my career, but at the moment Selby’s not worth a w**k.

“He’s British champion, I’m fighting for a world title and this game is about levels. Right now I’m just focused on doing the job at hand on Saturday [when he fights on the undercard of the ‘Making History’ Team Sauerland show at the Max-Schmeling Halle] and then ripping that title from Casimero on September 10 before hearing those three brilliant words: ‘And the new’.”