By James Blears, photos by Jose Alberto Salazar
Edgar "Iron man" Sosa and Wilbert "Huracan" Uicab have vowed to stage a "little big man war" in their final eliminator for the WBC flyweight title, this Saturday. The fight will be held in the Arena at the magnificent Oasis Hotel in Cancun and although both are long standing friends, a needle has crept in.
Barrel Chested Wilberth who's the WBC silver champion has vowed a knockout. He's saying that Edgar started as a strawweight and enjoyed success as a light flyweight, in stark contrast to himself, who's always fought as a fully fledged flyweight.
Wilbert also said: "We're friends outside ring hours, but there's only room for one of us to advance and that's going to be me. I'm younger and stronger, and I'm going to make this count."
Wibert, who is from Cancun, has all of the local support and is bouyed up by Sergio Thompson's incredible underdog two round TKO demolition of Jorge Linares form last Saturday.
Edgar is completely unfazed. He's repeatedly stressed that he's vastly more experienced, technically way ahead as a boxer and is ready to give Wilbert a comprehensive boxng lesson.
Not prone to predictions, Edgar says he's had a great training camp and is fully prepared for a war. He is pledging to use his famed body attack and says this will break down Wilberth's resistence,soften him up and slow him down as the rounds progress.
In appearance and build, the two of them couldn't be more different. While Edgar is slender and pale, Wilbert is stocky and dark- like a yearling bull.
A fight between two Mexicans always presents the promise of fireworks. This one is the classic matchp of fighter against a boxer, with the added whetted edge of world aspirations on the line, for whoever wins the battle of wills, which is intensely evident, in the most beautiful, relaxed and laid back of atmospheres. "Vamonos!"