CHARLIE EDWARDS is the underdog when he challenges John Riel Casimero for the latter’s IBF flyweight title on the Gennady Golovkin-Kell Brook bill at the O2 on Saturday (September 10). But you wouldn’t suspect that for a moment when speaking to him.

“He’s a good fighter, strong and can punch obviously,” Edwards told Boxing News. “But if you’re not there to get hit, he’s going to be loading up, he’s going to be swinging, you’re going to be making opportunities to get countered yourself and he isn’t hard to hit. There are a lot of openings there. So I’m ready. I’m really confident, really confident in everything I’ve done in camp, all through my career, 12 years of boxing. It’s not a 10 week camp.”

Charlie is still only 23 years old but won a place on to the GB amateur squad at a young age. “The 12 years I’ve been boxing, all around the world, that international experience,” he said. “Travelling around the world fighting these top fighters, he ain’t nothing I haven’t seen before. He’s an opponent in front of me that I’ve got to get through and I’ve got to beat and I know I’m fully capable of beating him. His style is made for me”

“On Saturday it’s about performing under those lights. I’m ready, my whole camp, my whole team, they’re all confident in me,” Charlie concluded.

“I live and breathe boxing, I put everything into it and this has come at a perfect time. I’m fresh, I’m young and I’m the new kid on the block. It’s time to take this title and prove, and show everyone this is where I should belong, on this big stage.”