Boxing: Jack Catterall, Sunny Edwards & Shannon Ryan sign deals with Matchroom
- Published
Sunny Edwards is undefeated and holds the IBF flyweight title
Britain's Sunny Edwards and Jack Catterall have signed promotional deals with Matchroom Boxing.
Light-welterweight Catterall, 29, joins after seeing a potential rematch with former undisputed champion Josh Taylor fall through earlier this year.
Edwards, 27, is the IBF flyweight champion and one of just four current male British world champions in boxing.
The Londoner is undefeated in 19 fights and was previously signed to now defunct promotional outfit Probellum.
Undefeated prospect Shannon Ryan, represented by Anthony Joshua's management company, also signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Matchroom.
Matchroom's three new signings were unveiled at Joshua's weigh-in on Friday in London.
Edwards has been chasing unification fights at flyweight for several years and hopes a switch to Eddie Hearn's Matchroom can make those fights happen.
The Englishman's last successful title defence against Felix Alvarado in November was not broadcast on UK TV.
Ukrainian Artem Dalakian holds the WBA title and Mexican Julio Cesar Martinez is the WBC champion.
"I'm the best flyweight on the planet. I'm probably one of the best fighters on the planet. It's hard to get credit down at this weight," Edwards said.
"I'm probably one of the best British fighters to ever do it."
Catterall has been out of action for a year after seeing a rematch with Taylor delayed and then indefinitely postponed.
A scheduled rematch on 4 February had to be cancelled because of an injury to the Scotsman and Taylor has now agreed to fight American and former undisputed lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez in June.
Catterall has held talks with Regis Prograis, who won the WBC title last November that was vacated by Taylor.
Jamie Moore trains Catterall and said talks with Prograis were at an "advanced stage" before he signed with Matchroom.
"I'm ready for this big fights," Catterall said. "I've bene screaming for them for the last two years, through no fault of my own they've not materialised. I'm confident these fights will now be delivered."
"That's a fantastic fight for Jack," Moore added. "Obviously he hasn't had the best of luck and I'm just hoping it all comes together for him. He deserves a break."
Moore said beating Prograis could make for an even bigger rematch with Taylor in the future after the judging controversy in their first encounter in February 2022.
"I think winning a world title against Prograis makes it bigger," Moore added. "Everyone wanted to see the Taylor rematch because of the controversy the first time.
"Jack can go and beat Prograis, which is no given because Prograis is a phenomenal fighter, but if he can beat him and pick up a world title and do a better job than Taylor did against him, it makes the Taylor rematch even bigger."
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- Published14 January
