Sunny Edwards “one billion percent serious” about fighting Paul Butler, doesn’t think Butler will do it

Flyweight titleholder Sunny Edwards recently stated that he’d be willing to move up to bantamweight to face WBO titlist Paul Butler, and the unbeaten Edwards is stressing now that he’s dead serious about doing it, and that he funny believes it’s a fight he’d win.

But with that said, Edwards (18-0, 4 KO) doesn’t actually expect it to happen — or he’s trying to bait Butler (34-2, 15 KO) into actually taking the fight.

“I am one billion percent serious about fighting Paul Butler,” said Edwards. “I don’t say things that don’t mean. Not in boxing, not in my private life.

“It’s a fight I’d be 100 percent confident with, it would be an inter-Probellum fight, it would be an all-British world title fight, but I couldn’t really see it happening, if I’m honest, because if I was Paul Butler, I would stay every possible mile in this world away from me and I think that will be the response.

“I think Paul’s coach, Joe Gallagher, is probably much smarter than that, as well. But it’s a fight that I would like, it was never really on my radar until a few months ago when I got dragged into a back-and-forth on Twitter with his dad. But Paul’s a good fighter, don’t get confused.”

Edwards is making clear that he respects Butler’s ability, he just believes his is higher.

“For me, there are levels to boxing,” Edwards said. “It’s a fight that would allow me to prove the mindset that I’m willing to go up and down in weights to where the fights make sense.”

Edwards, 26, has held the IBF flyweight belt since winning it from Moruti Mthalane in Apr. 2021, and has made two successful defenses, most recently on Mar. 19 against Muhammad Waseem. Butler, 33, won the interim WBO 118 lb belt on Apr. 22 in Liverpool, and was elevated to full titleholder status after John Riel Casimero was stripped.