Charlie Edwards: Resilient Boxer’s Comeback Journey
Charlie Edwards is a British professional boxer who won the WBC flyweight title in December 2018 by defeating Cristofer Rosales. He made one successful defence, against Angel Moreno in March 2019.
Edwards’s August 2019 bout with Julio César Martínez was declared a no contest after Martínez struck Edwards while he was down. Edwards retained the title under the ruling, then vacated it in October 2019, citing difficulty making the weight.
Rebuilding at bantamweight
Edwards later established another championship milestone at a heavier weight. On September 27, 2024, he defeated Thomas Essomba at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London, to win the European bantamweight title. The judges scored the twelve-round contest 118–111, 117–111 and 116–112, all in Edwards’s favor.
Essomba applied forward pressure and changed between southpaw and orthodox positions, while Edwards relied on movement and his jab to create space. The defending champion remained competitive, but Edwards’s work over the distance earned the unanimous verdict. The result added a European title to the WBC world championship he had previously held at flyweight.
The distinction between those achievements is useful when following his career. The 2018 Rosales victory made Edwards a world flyweight champion, whereas the 2024 Essomba win brought a European bantamweight belt. They came in different divisions and at different stages, with the later result marking progress after his decision to leave the flyweight title behind.
Sources
Sources: WBC ruling on the Martínez bout; Sky Sports: Edwards defeats Essomba; WBC announcement of the title vacancy; BBC report on the no contest.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
