Master blaster Jamie looks for fourth win
Jamie Edwards halts Jayro Duran. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB
COVENTRY puncher Jamie Edwards guns for his fourth pro win on Friday.
On BCB’s “Stand and Deliver” show at Birmingham’s Eastside Rooms, the super-lightweight faces South African Garth Noot over four rounds.
Expect another impressive, dominate display from Jamie. Noot, who fights out of Newport, Wales, has 11 losses in a 13 bout career, but is tough and durable.
Edwards, aged 27, will do well to prevent him hearing the final bell.
At this stage in his career, Jamie, a product of Coventry’s famed Triumph amateur club, looks a rare talent.
He showed that in the unpaid ranks. He won the Haringey Cup, collected Midlands titles and made a single appearance for England.
I was particularly impressed by his final round stoppage of Honduran Jayro Duran last time out. He appears to be getting better with each outing, he’s learned the pace needed in the pros and is picking shots rather than blazing away.
As he said after that June victory: “I was more relaxed this time. I’m settling into the pace now. In the gym we’ve been working on patience and creating the finish.”
And make no mistake – the lad can bang. All his wins have come early.
As a pro, he hit the ground running with a second round stoppage of durable Stefan Vincent in October, 2023. Vincent is usually near guaranteed to last the distance.
Things didn’t go to plan for hard-hitting Edwards in his second fight. He could only draw with Stu Greener and appeared to flag in the four rounder.
“Stu’s very tough, weathered the storm and I emptied the tank too early,” Jamie said. “My first fight was a real high and I expected that again. That was a valuable lesson learned.”
He’s learned it well.
After injury prevented Jamie competing in 2024, he’s now on a march to the top.
Others may be getting a little carried away, Edwards is not.
In a previous interview, he told me: “I’m doing an apprenticeship. I’m still learning the rhythm and timing. I’m still learning and seeing how far it will take us.
“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.”
“I have always been blessed with power, now we’re putting it together with speed and timing and it’s making a massive difference.
“I feel good, I feel strong and, at this stage, we are just taking it day by day. I feel I can go all the way up to European level, even higher, as long as I keep doing the right things.”
To date, he’s done all the right things.