- 6/19/2025
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SportsTranscript
00:00Both know the rules, keep it clean, nothing low, watch your heads, and when I say free to take a step back, most importantly defend yourself at all times, best of luck.
00:09Darren Sargenton in charge of this one, Gary Lockett training Rhys Edwards, Asomber boxing out of the Steel City gym is corner led by Fierce Gudgeon.
00:22They're scheduled for eight or fewer in the featherweight division.
00:24So Edwards in the black and purple, Asomber setting up in the southpaw stands there in the black and red.
00:32Just reaching from the left hand a bit there, Asomber, fell in slightly and he knew it.
01:01So he got those gloves up and followed it in.
01:11He's looking at the jab up there, Asomber, Ed's just trying to pick a right-hand lead.
01:18Yeah, everyone's looking for the straight right hand right down the middle, great punch against the southpaw, you know, jabs, lead hands can cancel each other out a little bit.
01:26There's my back hand against your back hand, you can often see that.
01:38Look at the back on Asomber, you can see the shape he's still in at 37, trains hard, always stays in shape and that's why he's able to take these kinds of opportunities.
01:48Edwards knows all about that, as we outlined, that's exactly what he did, what he was able to do at the back end of last year.
01:58Just not quite finding his range just yet, Edwards Asomber, as we know, a technically adept fighter, a clever fighter.
02:06He's got quite a wide stand so he's able to pull onto the back foot and stay out of range if he needs to.
02:14Yeah, just a little, you know, just a couple of inches can take the distance away from someone, you know, and he's looking for that straight left hand into the solar plexus.
02:23The body of Rhys Edwards is Asomber, and I think it's fair to say as well he's not really a featherweight, is he? Asomber is in a phantom, super phantom weight.
02:36He's come up in weight.
02:38And I think his smallness almost makes him a little bit awkward for Edwards, Edwards doesn't really want to overreach and then get countered over the top.
02:51Let's go with the left hand bear Asomber, didn't quite get there but left himself in a decent position to throw a right hand, when he attacks Asomber he will commit to it, Edwards knows that.
03:03Closing stages of round one, this schedule for eight.
03:22If you're able to just try the straight one too, don't look for power, just look for accuracy.
03:27Okay, let's go backstage, Polly is with Mark Jeffers.
03:30Mark, hello, welcome to Oakwell Stadium, are you alright to walk with us just a little bit?
03:36You said yesterday that you were in a vicious mood to spark him out.
03:41We're walking into the stadium now, is that still the emotion?
03:44Even more, I'm feeling very dangerous tonight.
03:47I'm expecting a special performance by myself and yeah, show everyone who the boy is.
03:53And before we send you into the dressing room, how do you anticipate the Callum Simpson fans with you tonight?
03:58Don't care less, hopefully Bumi, because I'll be taking the, I'll be taking all them belts back one day.
04:06Brilliant, good luck out there tonight.
04:07I appreciate it.
04:09He's an interesting character, Jeff, as he loves a challenge, whether it's a 100k run, a 200k bike ride.
04:16His latest thing was to do a park 5k, pushing his son Ronnie in his pram, which he managed to do in 17 minutes 57 seconds.
04:24I've absolutely no idea how you do that.
04:27He is Macklin, like all of you elite athletes, basically a lunatic.
04:32The technique for it was wild.
04:34He would push it about 10 yards and run, catch up with it, push it again.
04:37How you do something like that at that pace, I could not tell you.
04:42It's the second round here.
04:44Yeah, Keiji is showing him round for both men, I think Ed was, needs to...
04:59Stop overthinking it, I think he's just waiting a little bit too long, I think he's just gonna get the jab going a bit more.
05:03Straight right hand down the middle, one, two.
05:05And just let, find a bit of a rhythm here now, let the hands go, I think he's just waiting a little bit too long here.
05:10And he's allowing Assamba to slow the pace down.
05:13And then from the outside there a few seconds ago, Assamba rushed in, landed a short left hand into the body.
05:23Yeah, I mean, that's the shot for Assamba, straight left into the solar plexus.
05:30Here's a decent body shot from Edwards, brought his feet in, right hand downstairs.
05:40Left hand from Assamba, was greeted with cheers from the corner, but landed mostly on the gloves.
05:52Left hand away there, I think it was mainly blocked, but a right hand lead there, a lead right hook from Assamba, I think, did catch Edwards' glancing blow.
06:02Take it off!
06:04Take it off!
06:05Take it off!
06:06Take it off!
06:07Take it off!
06:08Take it off!
06:09Move!
06:10Take it off!
06:11Take it off!
06:13Take it off!
06:15Assamba doesn't have to do much, just to take the distance away from Edwards,
06:18just that little half a step, and all of a sudden Edwards is reaching.
06:21And Assamba's quite quick at coming back at him,
06:25so yeah, Edwards, I think, has to be careful with that overreaching,
06:28That's exactly what Assamba wants him to do.
06:36Assamba again just going down to the body there.
06:47And then he caught Assamba on the way in there, Edwards.
06:49He started to come with Assamba, almost looked better off.
06:52Edwards backed up, and then when he came again,
06:55he's imagined him with the right hand.
06:57It's the first time he's really managed to do that.
06:59Edwards has got to kind of, I think, double up the jab.
07:02Even if the jab doesn't hit the target, even if you're just jabbing the glove,
07:05Assamba is getting you into distance,
07:07and then you can step in with the straight right hand.
07:15Those single jabs, they're not landing, Assamba's just backing up a little bit,
07:19just backing up.
07:20I think he's got to double up on that jab even before that.
07:25wait!
07:27about
07:291
07:312
07:336
07:357
07:36.
07:374
07:39.
07:43.
07:47.
07:49.
07:50.
07:51that's the scene at Oakwell
08:08last year it was that stand you're looking at now
08:11that was the one that was open
08:13it was absolutely packed
08:147,000 people in it
08:15having the time of their lives
08:16and we knew if we came back again
08:18then we'd be able to open up
08:21the whole place basically
08:23and that is what has happened
08:24he is ramping up Callum Simpson
08:26it was British and Commonwealth titles then
08:29now it's a European in front of
08:31a bigger, bigger crowd
08:32into round three here
08:38Edwards towards the end of round two
08:42just maybe starting to find his range of timing
08:45a little bit of some
08:46but as we know
08:48a skillful fighter
08:50a crafty fighter
08:51landed some decent blows to the body
08:53side to side
09:05that was a good salvo from Edwards in that far neutral corner
09:19found a few punches
09:32got one back from Zomber but
09:34he's going to get his feet into range
09:36and work his hands
09:37he's going to expect to feel something coming back the other way
09:41I think the basic shots
09:46the straight shots are going to work well
09:48it just needs to be busier and looser with them
09:50more speed, more accuracy
09:51try and find a bit of a rhythm with them
09:53one, two, jab, double jab right hand
09:55you know, feint, straight right hand
09:58keep it basic
09:58those shots don't really take much out of you as well
10:01and he'll be able to find a rhythm off that
10:03where you know, trying to land the hooks to the body
10:06they're not really there yet
10:07Osomber's still a little bit too sharp for that at the minute
10:10I think as the round's for one
10:12and the legs get a little bit slower
10:13and he's not reacting as quicker
10:14then he can put combinations together
10:17bring the hooks and the uppercuts into play
10:18just dips to his right there Osomber
10:23and then looks to try that left hand into the body
10:26he reaches that left hand from quite far out the zone
10:52but when he does it
10:52he commits to it
10:54he follows it in
10:56Edwin's just unable to take that little step back
10:59and maybe catch him as he loses balance slightly
11:03he's used to Osomber when he's boxing up at the weights
11:08above his natural weight
11:09to being the smaller fighter
11:11and he has a method
11:12and again he just takes his feet in there
11:15lands the left hand
11:15yeah and he uses that smallness as an advantage
11:18makes himself a small target
11:21difficult to catch
11:22and he's able to close the distance pretty quickly when he wants to
11:26okay let's go to Polly
11:29she's with Sean Hemphill
11:31you've been so confident
11:34you've been so charged up this week
11:36what is going to be that one emotion driving you
11:39as you step into that ring later on?
11:40I got my family and all my people watching from back home cheering me on
11:44they want to see me do this
11:45we had a long journey to get to this point
11:47and now it's finally here
11:48just ready to represent
11:50yeah you've got your family and your baby with you
11:54how important is that
11:55moments before you head into the ring?
11:57it's extremely important to me
11:59that's my biggest motivation at the moment
12:01and I'm not just doing it for me anymore
12:03I'm doing it for my family
12:04my loved ones
12:06brilliant good luck out there tonight
12:07thank you very much
12:08he means business
12:11Sean Hemphill
12:12he's a good fighter
12:13he had a tussle with William Scull
12:15gave him a decent fight
12:16he went until recently
12:17he was the IDF Superbiddenweight Champion
12:19lost a very entertaining fight
12:22on Showbox
12:23adlining a next generation card
12:26his partner's here with him
12:29Chelsea Hayes
12:30who was a London 2012 Olympian
12:33their 11 month old daughter
12:35and there's a resoluteness about them
12:37like there is with Team Zuko
12:39at the top of the bill
12:41again he steps in
12:57he whips that left hand
12:58it didn't land
12:59and then that guard is
13:00immediately back up in place
13:02yeah but again
13:03Osomba just taking a distance away
13:05those little half steps
13:06I think Edwards has got to be prepared
13:07to step in with the punch
13:08he's got to commit to it
13:09you know otherwise
13:11he's just going to be hitting fresh air
13:12Osomba's just edging back
13:13edging back
13:14and then he's quite quick at jumping in
13:16with that left hand
13:17into the solar plexus
13:18so Edwards has got to double at the jab
13:20and he's got to step in
13:21with the right hand
13:22there's that single left again
13:25from Osomba
13:26in terms of clean punches
13:38he's landed there's not much in this
13:40you know even jab
13:41throw the jab out
13:42no one's going to get powered
13:43but then you step in
13:44with the right hand
13:44there's that single again
13:49from Osomba
13:49left hand into the body
13:50moves him behind it
13:51gets on the shoulder
13:52grabs hold of Edwards
13:53and if he's not able
13:55to give himself
13:56a little bit of room
13:57he turns that into a shot
13:58to nothing Osomba really
14:00because
14:00it's difficult to counter
14:02big cheers from the corner
14:12again
14:13they are a noisy corner
14:14in fairness
14:14the Steel City corner
14:15yeah we can hear them saying
14:17take it away
14:17take it away
14:18take the distance away
14:19you know
14:19he's struggling
14:21I think Edwards
14:22just to really
14:24get his range
14:25and that's because
14:27of what Osomba's doing
14:28cleverly
14:28he's not standing still
14:30he's using the ring
14:31and he's just edging back
14:33edging back
14:33using feints too
14:34and every now and then
14:35he'll kind of ambush Edwards
14:36by coming in quickly
14:37with that straight left
14:39into the solar plexus
14:40he's frustrating Edwards
14:46a little bit at the minute
14:47closing stages around four
14:50but as I said
14:50in terms of clean punches
14:52landed
14:52there's not much to choose
14:53between these two
14:54to be honest with you
14:55in the first half of this fight
14:56Osomba's landed
14:57some singles and combinations
14:58to the body
14:59Edwards has thrown more
15:01but as you say
15:01most of it
15:02hasn't really landed
15:03good right to the body
15:05there though
15:05yeah that's better
15:06just getting on top
15:11of Osomba a little bit
15:12there
15:13and as you've been saying
15:14I think that's what he needs
15:15to do in the second half
15:15is up the tempo a bit
15:17compose himself physically
15:18he is going to catch
15:19a couple in return
15:20but he's just got to
15:21back himself
15:22and he'll come out
15:22the right side of it
15:23closing stages
15:25of round four
15:26okay let's
15:27go over to Polly
15:28once again
15:29she caught up
15:29with Callum Simpson
15:30arriving a little bit earlier
15:32Callum it's looked like
15:35you've really enjoyed
15:35fight week
15:36you've been so relaxed
15:37when do you sort of
15:39switch into fight mode?
15:41As soon as the ref says
15:42seconds out
15:43and the bell goes
15:44I think I box best
15:46I fight best
15:46and I'm relaxed
15:47but as soon as that bell goes
15:49I'm fully focused
15:50I'm glad to go
15:52you've got
15:53you've got all your team here
15:55I was going to say
15:56look he could pose
15:57problems for you tonight
15:58he's unbeaten
15:59he's a Southpaw
16:00how much will you feed off
16:02all of this home support?
16:03Massively
16:04personally I feed off it massively
16:06you know
16:06the atmosphere
16:07adds that extra 10%
16:095%
16:09and you know
16:10knowing the fans are behind me
16:11the support's behind me
16:12I cannot lose
16:13and obviously
16:13you know
16:14it's a very tough test
16:15against the club
16:15but we've prepared
16:16for every situation
16:17and I believe in my
16:18preparation
16:19and conditioning
16:20and yeah
16:20we're ready
16:20good luck
16:22thank you very much
16:23it's interesting
16:24what he said there
16:25about at what point
16:26he flicks that switch
16:27and goes into fight mode
16:28he does it late
16:29by the sound of it
16:30some fighters do
16:31it's a very individual thing
16:32others might do it
16:33at the start of fight week
16:35they prefer to be
16:36really really intense
16:37others
16:38will feel like
16:39they need to stay
16:40loose and relaxed
16:41for as long as they can
16:42a nice busy
16:43start to
16:44round 5
16:45here from Edwards
16:46with Asamba
16:47looking to reply
16:48Darren Sarginson
16:49will tell him off there
16:50for just pushing off
16:51with the forearm
16:52with the heel of the glove
16:54I think Edwards
16:58just needs to get busier
16:59just let his hands go more
17:01you know
17:01double jab
17:01particularly
17:021-2
17:03when he throws the 1-2
17:04he's got to come with it
17:05step with it
17:06because Asamba's
17:07edging back
17:07edging back
17:08so he's got to
17:08make sure he's moving forward
17:10when he throws the 1-2
17:11throw the jab
17:12then kind of step in
17:13with the right hand
17:14you see Asamba
17:18moving from side to side
17:20he got stuck in the corner
17:21so threw that left hand
17:22into the body
17:22Edwards turning south
17:24for himself
17:24now back to Orthodox
17:32sometimes even with the side
17:44poor throwing the double jab
17:45you're not actually trying to hit him
17:47with the double jab
17:48you're just kind of breaking the distance
17:49to step in
17:50to throw the right hand
17:51Gary Lockett in the Edwards corner
17:54just peckling him in
17:55as he was closing in
17:57on his own red corner there
17:58that's better from Edwards
18:06nice right hand
18:07good right hand to the body
18:08as well
18:08and again
18:10this is better
18:11just pulls back
18:15and makes that left hand
18:16from Asamba
18:17land fractionally
18:18short
18:19slips the jab
18:20and looks to try and fire back
18:21with the right
18:21this is better from Edwards
18:26you know
18:27when he's busy
18:27when he's letting his hands go
18:29he's a lot more effective
18:30when he's
18:31when the pace is slow
18:32and he's overthinking
18:33he kind of loses
18:37all of his flow
18:37it's almost like
18:41in the first half
18:42he was trying to
18:43pick perfect punches
18:45and that's not what boxing is
18:46it's a high failure rate sport
18:48most of what you throw
18:49won't land
18:49they're not
18:50heat seeking missiles
18:51and in the second half
18:52now he's just
18:53like you say
18:54he's just a bit more relaxed
18:55than he's letting his hands go
18:56exactly
18:57and especially
18:57South Ball Orthodox
18:58you know
18:59a lot of the shots
18:59you know you're not going to land them
19:01but you're breaking that distance down
19:02you get closer
19:03you double jab
19:04and then you step in
19:05with the right hand
19:06and the Sun were just looking to come forward
19:10and commit
19:11in the slightly more sustained fashion at times
19:15which may well suit Edwards a little bit more too
19:17he's blowing Thomas
19:24he's blowing
19:24came in behind the jab there
19:28moved the feet in
19:29and did a solid enough right hand to the body
19:31and this has been Edwards' most dominant round of the fight
19:40so far
19:41by some distance
19:42actually
19:43breathe deep
19:49don't panic
19:50listen
19:50don't panic
19:51it's all in hand
19:52that was a good round
19:53okay
19:53good
19:54good round
19:55that's all you've got to do
19:56you've got to take it out of his comfort zone
19:57you were standing off him too much
19:59and you were letting him dictate
20:00messing about with that zigzag movement
20:02okay
20:03see the head move
20:04now you're on him a little bit
20:06that was a much better round
20:07I know he is but listen
20:07we've got to go through all these styles
20:08oh yeah yeah yeah
20:09right look
20:09good stuff
20:10good luck
20:11yeah that round was big
20:13right
20:13you're tiring him out now
20:15the pace tired him out
20:16do you understand what I'm saying
20:17yeah
20:17if you're trying to
20:19you can box like
20:20he boxed in the first three rounds all night
20:21but you've got to make him
20:22not want to
20:23you've got to make him work
20:24so he doesn't want to work
20:25do you know what I mean
20:26yeah yeah yeah
20:26okay
20:27it's good work
20:28yeah yeah yeah
20:30listen
20:31the uppercuts will work well
20:32as soon as he gets close
20:33don't just cover it
20:34as soon as he gets close
20:35take half a step back
20:35and count it
20:36good sir
20:37good advice coming in there
20:39from Gary Lockett
20:40there's the QR code
20:41give that a scan
20:42get involved in the live vlog
20:43the viewers verdict
20:45the top of the bill
20:45Callum Simpson against Ivan Zuko
20:47for the vacant European
20:48super middleweight title
20:50coming later on
20:51next up will be Mark Jeffers
20:5310 rounds
20:54same weight division
20:55against Sean Hemphill
20:57and that previous round
20:58was Edwards' best round
21:00I think the corner
21:01are looking at the fight
21:02and feeling at halfway
21:03it was pretty even
21:04which is what we were seeing
21:05and he kind of got to grips
21:07with things in that fifth
21:09and that's what he needs to keep doing
21:11yeah and the key word there
21:13that Gary Lockett said
21:14was pace
21:14you know
21:15not only is pace
21:16going to tire him out
21:17but it's also
21:18Edwards boxes better
21:19when he's boxing
21:20enough fast pace
21:21when he's busy
21:21he's bouncing
21:22he's got a rhythm
21:23to his boxing
21:24he's not overthinking it
21:25then he's letting his hands go
21:26and his work's flowing
21:28when the pace is slow
21:30and he's overthinking it
21:31and he's forcing it
21:32he loses all that rhythm
21:33and he becomes more static
21:35the head movement stops
21:37and he's predictable
21:38so yeah
21:39I think up in the pace
21:40high tempo
21:41that's the way to go now
21:43for Edwards
21:44and it just shows
21:52what an excellent professional
21:54Asamba continues to be
21:56because he's got that ability level
21:58where Reece Edwards
21:58who's boxing at a good good level himself
22:01is really having to try
22:02and figure him out here
22:04because as you say
22:05he was the one
22:06he managed to slow the pace down
22:08to suit him
22:09and to throw Edwards
22:10off his game
22:11through those first four rounds
22:12well it's all about
22:13dictating the terms
22:13and you can hear the corner
22:14of Asamba saying
22:15take it away from him
22:16take it away
22:17they're all about
22:17taking the distance away
22:18you know
22:19take the distance away
22:20slow the pace down
22:21then you're dictating the terms
22:24so it's crucial
22:25for Edwards
22:26that he doesn't allow
22:26Asamba to do that
22:27you're going to stay on him
22:28and keep the tempo high
22:30that's a good body shot
22:35you know
22:37they'll be having an effect
22:38as well
22:38and then in the clinch
22:40just managing to lean over
22:42on top of him a bit
22:43because he is the taller man
22:44Asamba going orthodox
22:46perfectly capable of switching
22:50between the two
22:52into the final minute
22:53of round six
22:53that was good for Masamba
22:56moved in behind
22:56the double jab
22:57five with the right hand
22:58didn't quite manage to land it
23:00right hand from Edwards
23:06good jab
23:07just catches Asamba
23:08as he was on the way in
23:10setting himself
23:11for his own right
23:12again nice lead hand
23:14there from Edwards
23:15so ball goes to the end of the
23:43sixth and they have come in numbers
23:46as we knew they would
23:47to see the local hit
23:50and Callum Simpson
23:52he was out watching a couple of the earlier fights
23:56just acclimatizing
23:58getting used to things
24:00but next up
24:03we've got Mark Jeffers
24:07in with Sean Hemphill
24:08and I expect that to be a good fight
24:09it's a decent match
24:10it's what Jeffers needs
24:11because this year
24:13he's kept busy
24:14he's taken fights
24:15any fight he could get
24:16against fighters
24:17he was supposed to beat
24:18he's been chasing other things
24:20that haven't happened
24:20he's cut everybody down
24:22and he's looked good doing it
24:24but at some point Matt
24:25when you take too many of them
24:26there will come a night
24:27where you look a bit labored
24:28and out of sorts
24:29and people could call on you
24:31really quick
24:32Hemphill is not that kind of fight
24:33there's levels above that
24:35and Jeffers will know it
24:36yeah I don't see Jeffers
24:38looking beyond this
24:40or looking to the Sims
24:41but I think he knows in Hemphill
24:42he's got a real
24:43tough guy in front of him
24:44and I think he'll
24:45you know raise his game
24:46for that
24:46so it's in the seventh
24:49Edwards in the purple and black
24:51Osomba in the black and red
24:54Osomba back to Southpaw
25:01I think that's wise for him
25:03I think he was
25:03when he's Southpaw
25:05he's more awkward for Edwards
25:08I think when he's in orthodox
25:09Edwards can get his jab going more
25:11and he can put combinations off that
25:13I think being at Southpaw
25:16also slows the pace down
25:18because Edwards has got to think
25:20a little bit more
25:21he can't just
25:22you know get his shots off
25:25with the jab
25:25behind the jab and everything
25:27it's more
25:28good court there sorry
25:32good body shot from Edwards
25:35that's a good combination
25:38he got his feet nice and close
25:39and let his hands go
25:41good right hand on the
25:45break there almost
25:46Osomba looked for the upper
25:47cut up the middle
25:48I think Edwards strangled it
25:49with the forearms
25:50and then fired back
25:51at his right
25:52Edwards just treading on the
25:54top of the lead foot bar
25:55of Osomba
25:56good jab there from Osomba
26:12he stays tight
26:14he stays compact
26:15he keeps that
26:15shape to him
26:17that's good from Edwards
26:32but right at the end
26:34they're still using that
26:35head movement
26:36stayed away from the final
26:37couple of punches
26:38he stays pinned on the
26:55number gloves that combination
26:57He loves that combination by Edwards, but Osomberg committing to it,
27:01Edwards then looking as far back with his right hand.
27:11This is good from Edwards, constant, there's consistent pressure here.
27:17I think Osomberg probably feeling the pace a little bit now too.
27:27Edwards just slipping inside the lead right hook and then spinning around that front foot.
27:41Okay, let's go down ringside, Andy is with Kell Brook.
27:46I am, Andy, I've always wanted to do this.
27:48We've even got the DJ to play the track, so this is you.
27:51What will be going through Callum Simpson's mind later on?
27:55How important will this crowd be for him?
27:58He'll be so focused, you know what I mean?
28:00He's done all the training, I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago.
28:03His weight was good, he looked very focused, ready, fit, strong.
28:07And he keeps growing and growing, he's getting better and better.
28:10This is another step up for him.
28:12He's going to ride to the occasion, do you know what I mean?
28:14I see it in him, do you know what I mean?
28:16I see him going all the way, I really do.
28:18I'm going to stop and I'm going to let you go.
28:20This is your ring walk, come on mate, you've got to go and do it properly.
28:25Well that's the walk that Callum Simpson will make later,
28:28through that archway behind Kell Brook, down that gravel track,
28:32to the halfway line basically, then he'll turn right and approach the ring.
28:37It's the walk that he made last August and it's even bigger for him tonight.
28:43One of the great choices of ring walk to Matt Kell Brook.
28:53He had some fantastic, fantastic nights himself, a storied career.
28:57Into the eighth and final round here.
29:00And Edwards has had a good second half of Somba, had a decent first half.
29:04There wasn't much in it at the midway stage, but Edwards has been busier in the second half.
29:09He's committed more, and that's really been the difference.
29:12Somba's never been in any trouble, he's just moving left and right, right and left.
29:16You've got to hand into the body there from Edwards.
29:21Yeah, he's up the pace the last couple of rounds, Edwards.
29:35Up the punch-out court as well.
29:47Left hand is the body there from Somba.
29:53The original opponent for Edwards for tonight was Leon Woodstock,
29:57Somba coming in at a couple of weeks' notice.
30:01And he's not somebody that anyone is ever going to sleep on
30:06because of the people he's been in with and the way that he performs.
30:09And your first fight back, if it's kind of a tick-over, Matt,
30:12after an experience like Saudi Arabia, it's important because it's...
30:17It's kind of jeopardy if you let it, isn't it?
30:19Yeah, he wants to build on the back of it.
30:21You know it was a defeat in Saudi, but it was a good performance
30:24and he wants to build on the back of that now.
30:26And Somba obviously changing directions here, lots of lateral movement,
30:33trying to trick Edwards, and that's good work from Edwards.
30:36Caught him with a left-hander, Somba, as he was on the move,
30:39and that just rocked him onto his heels.
30:41I don't think he was really hurt, but it was well-timed.
30:43It was well-timed by Edwards.
30:45Yeah, and I think that's the key, just try and look for the accuracy now.
30:48You don't need to look for power in the last round,
30:49I don't think you're going to get a knockout.
30:51A knockout hasn't... you haven't looked like getting a knockout at any point,
30:53but look for speed and accuracy now.
30:58And BZ.
31:00Yeah, just keep popping that double-jab right hand out,
31:06one-two, double-jab, jab, one-two, just find a nice flow with it,
31:10nice rhythm, just keep popping those shots out.
31:12Obviously, Somba's trying to run for him left to right,
31:16run the clock down.
31:18Just trying to close the door there, Edwards,
31:27he knew where Somba was going, stepped across,
31:29flung in that left hook, but Somba just managed to get beyond it.
31:33Final few seconds of this eight-round fight of featherweight.
31:37And there goes Zabella, touch of gloves between the two.
31:43You know, Somba, tricky, awkward, you know, capable fighter,
31:48knows how to...
31:50knows how to look after himself in there.
31:53He absolutely does, he knows how to pose questions,
31:58he presents himself as a problem that you have to solve
32:02if you're going to be too passive against him.
32:05He's easily good enough to come in and land scoring shots
32:08and put you under a little bit of pressure
32:10and just put some doubt into your mind.
32:14The second half of the fight, Edwards did, I think,
32:16more what Gary Lockett was wanting him to do.
32:19And there's your scorecard at home.
32:21You've got one drawn card, one drawn round there in the fourth,
32:25everything else to Edwards.
32:27You could have found a couple for Somba in those first four rounds,
32:30maybe, because Edwards was on the front foot all the time,
32:33but in terms of who landed what,
32:34he picked some nice clean body shots at times in rounds
32:37where not a great deal clean landed.
32:39Edwards has won the fight, but Somba,
32:41at the halfway stage, he was making these difficult.
32:45It was tricky, but he upped the pace, and that was the key for Edwards.
32:48He upped the work rate, he upped the tempo,
32:51and he found a groove, he found a rhythm,
32:53and everything was starting to flow better for him.
32:55Yeah, good performance, particularly in the second half
32:59against a difficult opponent in a Somba.
33:02So the referee just trying to get Thomas Somba into the centre of the ring.
33:07They're trying to get those gloves off at the moment of a Somba.
33:09It can be a difficult thing to do at the end of a night,
33:12particularly a cold one like this.
33:14The fingers of the trainer might not be working quite as well as they would
33:17usually, they're trying to pick that tape apart and undo those laces.
33:22I think Dalton Smith is getting in on the act now,
33:24there's two of them working on it.
33:27They may as well just send him to the middle of the ring,
33:29it doesn't really matter whether he's got his gloves on or not, to be honest.
33:34There we go, finally.
33:36Finally.
33:51Okay.
33:54We are ready for the announcement.
33:57Ladies and gentlemen.
34:03After eight full rounds, we go to referee Darren Sargentson for the official decision.
34:09He sees the contest.
34:1279-74, declaring your winner,
34:16Reece Edwards!
34:1879-74 is six rounds to Edwards, one to Somba and one drawn.
34:28So that's a good card from the referee.
34:30I think he's got some change there for Thomas Somba.
34:33Reece Edwards back to winning ways and we will be hearing from him shortly.
34:38Sure.
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