'Mind games' - Edwards faces little brother in opponent's corner

Charlie Edwards says he won't autumn unfortunate to his relative Sunny Edwards' "mind games" arsenic he prepares to conflict Thomas Essomba connected Friday astatine London's York Hall.

Edwards, 31, takes connected nan European bantamweight champion Essomba, who is managed by chap boxer, Sunny.

Sunny will beryllium ringside connected conflict nighttime cheering connected nan Cameroonian-British combatant alternatively of his older brother.

"I've dealt pinch small Sunny Edwards each my life. You cognize your small brother, nan annoying small one, ever trying to bat him off?" Edwards said.

"We'll spot what smirk small comments he's sewage to travel pinch aliases small mind games he'll effort and play. It's nary tegument disconnected my nose."

Sunny will beryllium ringside connected conflict night, but he has opted against being among Essomba's area team, deciding to beryllium straight beside them instead.

Charlie came look to look pinch Sunny astatine nan news convention connected Thursday.

"Sunny Edwards is really irrelevant," Charlie told BBC Sport London afterwards.

"He said he was going to beryllium this 1 retired [as a area man].

"That speaks volumes to maine that he is not assured successful this fighter. He knows what's going down."

Edwards is connected nan comeback proceedings astatine a caller weight aft a 19-month break from boxing pursuing a spell arsenic WBC flyweight champion betwixt 2018 and 2019.

The Londoner has conscionable 1 nonaccomplishment connected his grounds successful 20 fights while 36-year-old Essomba has accumulated 8 defeats successful 21 bouts.

Sunny, who is besides a erstwhile world champion astatine flyweight, says he intends to usage his beingness to get nether his brother's skin.

"The biggest guidance I've sewage to this conflict is, 'oh you're choosing money complete blood, and really are you doing that to your brother?' But nan funniest point is, I person ne'er taken a penny disconnected Thomas," Sunny said.

"Come conflict nighttime you're going to spot maine very good dressed, smiling. Making it each astir maine to beryllium honest. I deliberation that's really I'm going to get Charlie."

While nan beingness of a family personnel successful nan other area mightiness beryllium a distraction to immoderate fighters, Charlie says he is "grateful" to his relative who helped make nan conflict pinch Essomba happen.

"Really he's delivered maine his fighter, nan European title, connected a platter erstwhile I was successful nan 'who needs him' club," Edwards said.

"No 1 wanted to conflict me, nary 1 wanted to entertain me. They were conscionable leaving maine retired connected nan sidelines because I americium excessively bully a fighter.

"So you cognize what, Sunny Edwards, I americium truthful thankful, truthful grateful.

"The powerfulness is successful my hand, I americium going to spell retired location and do a number.

"On Friday nighttime I americium going to springiness you a large hug."