Charlie Edwards (19-1, 7KOs) beat Georges Ory (17-4-1, 2 KOs) via unanimous decision to get his career back on track after a lengthy period out of the ring.
Edwards showed glimpses of why he is a former world champion and managed to contain his emotions in what was an all or nothing fight for him.
After the fight an emotion Edwards said: “It’s been a long, tough few years. I could have walked away, but I never did.
I had to go through some dark times after the Martinez fight, but I have still got a lot of good years, I have to stay positive."
Edwards lost his world flyweight belt to Mexican Julio Cesar Martinez in 2019 after he was stopped in the third round in bizarre circumstances.
Martinez hit Edwards as he was on the canvas with a body shot which he could not recover from, and Martinez was given the win. However, the fight was correctly deemed a no contest afterward.
Edwards struggled outside of the ring after the fight and to his own admission was not living a healthy lifestyle as he lived through the struggle
Edwards Back to His Best
Edwards had been out of the ring for just under a year due to injury and personal issues. The Brit looked good against Ory, landing sharp shots from the opening bell.
Switch hitter Ory struggled to close the distance as Edwards boxed smart against the awkward Frenchman. Edwards looked good on the back foot, landing fast right hands.
The judge’ scorecards confirmed the one-sided win for Edwards with all three scoring the contest 98-92 in favour if him.
Considering the length of Edwards’ hiatus there were questions whether the Brit would tire in the later rounds of the 10-round fight but showed no signs of fatigue.
Edwards looked fit throughout and showed that the work had been put in during his training camp in Liverpool. He looked to be in the best shape many had seen him for years.
Ory was a tough opponent throughout and made sure that Edwards couldn’t switch off at any time as walked him down.
There was clear elation on Edwards’ face after the victory with him knowing how important it was to win and to put on a good performance.
He delivered that good performances and looked to be like the Charlie Edwards of old and seems to have a new sense of commitment to the sport again.
It is important for Edwards to stay active as he said he wants to. The win guarantees him a WBC world ranking and he can rise through the ranks with similar performances.
