Jamie staying sharp with Sampson bout

Jamie Edwards…in action on Saturday. Pic: Manjit Narotra/BCB

JAMIE Edwards, heavy handed ruler of the Midlands lightweight division, has his first fight since taking the belt on Saturday night.

The Coventry prospect looks to extend his unbeaten record to 10 bouts on BCB’s show at Aldersley Stadium, Wolverhampton.

And Edwards should reach double figures without the drama that went with his area title victory over Harvey Sturton in June. Back then, Sturton was dropped and close to being stopped, but rallied to last the distance in an exciting, gruelling affair.

This weekend, Jamie, a 28-year-old product of Coventry’s famous Triumph club, faces Karl Sampson over eight rounds.

Sampson, from Sheffield, is one of the better quality journeyman who’s near impossible to prevent hearing the final bell. In an 89 bout career, only eight men have halted Karl, fellow Coventry hotshot Huey Malone being one of them.

Other BCB boxers he’s faced include Warren Leybourne, Dylan Cheema and Brandon Bethell.

An inside distance win for Edwards would be something of a statement as he chases bigger things. Jamie certainly has the amateur pedigree to go far, bagging Midlands titles, winning the Haringey BoxCup and representing England.

Edwards, a likeable, grounded individual, has overcome adversity to get on the title trail – a snapped bicep tendon, along with other niggling injuries, kept him out of action for the whole of 2024.

Both he and chief trainer Dinesh Darbar admit there is still much to learn, that the apprenticeship is still being served.

Following his epic win over Sturton, Edwards told me: “I learned an awful lot from that, it was quite an eye-opener. The last three, two rounds I had to dig deep.

“I got the win, I’m really happy. I know I always find ways to make it harder for myself, I could’ve boxed a lot cleaner.

“For me, it’s about keeping going up the chain. The English (title) next would be nice. Making weight is always a bit of a struggle, but I made it fairly well for this one.”

Making weight can be no picnic for a boxer who’s tall and lean.

Dinesh said: We’re taking it step by step and trying to enjoy the journey. Jamie has the ability to do well in this game, but we need to take it a step at a time.”

Edwards can certainly bang. In a previous interview, he said: “I have the power, the power is there – it’s about learning the other things needed and using them correctly.

“The pace is one of the big differences from the amateurs. In the amateurs, it’s a sprint, in the pros you can take your time and that’s what I’m adapting to.”

Gaining a belt and completing the championship course brings a little extra out of a fighter. That little extra should be much too much for Sampson.