Boxing
Keys to Victory: Where the Charlie Edwards vs. Sikho Nqothole battle will be won
Edwards vs. Nqothole on DAZN subscription - TODAY
Charlie Edwards can move one step closer to a world title shot today when the British fighter clashes with Sikho Nqothole at York Hall in London, and live on DAZN .
The bout is an IBF super flyweight eliminator and that title is held by Willibaldo Garcia Perez as the one belt not owned by phenom Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in the division.
Edwards (21-2, 7 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision over Salvador Juarez back in September, while South African fighter Nqothole (21-3, 13 KOs) last produced a third-round TKO of Halid Kalama in November.
Will Edwards force his way to a title shot with a rousing victory? Or will Nqothole make a name for himself at the Brit’s expense? DAZN News analyzes the Keys to Victory for both fighters.
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Charlie Edwards’ Keys to Victory
Pick and choose spots to pressure
Charlie Edwards has a solid instinctual sense of knowing when to pounce, pinpointing his best spots to pressure opponents.
Surrendering reach to Sikho Nqothole, Edwards’ ability to blast the pocket and split the South African’s guard with punching pressure will be vital.
Unload the uppercut
Edwards owns a slicing uppercut as part of his punching palette.
The shot can be used to get inside of Nqothole’s jab or to the body toward winning tense exchanges and swaying judges’ scorecards.
Let hands go
Edwards has been criticized in the past for too much movement on his bicycle and not enough with his hands.
With this being a title eliminator and a chance to cement a shot at championship glory, Edwards must let his hands go.
That means being more active with the jab and cranking up the volume without falling victim to being overly selective with his offerings.
Nqothole’s Keys to Victory
Assert range behind the jab
Sikho Nqothole has 3½ inches of reach advantage over Charlie Edwards and he ought to use it to assert range behind the jab. Fight footage of Nqothole shows he has a disciplined, stiff jab to his fight game.
Using the stick to keep Edwards at bay, possibly even negating some of the English fighter’s movement, would be wise. That way, he can also control the tempo of the fight.
Make deposits to the body
Nqothole would be aided by making hard, regular deposits to Edwards’ body. Doing so could take away from Edwards’ lateral movement around the ring, sapping the Brit’s energy and possibly having him lower his arms just enough to land something more impactful upstairs.
Turn the jab into a left hook
Watching footage of Nqothole, it’s clear that the South African fighter has deceptively quick hand speed. In particular, he does a solid jab of flicking out that jab, only to turn it into a left hook at the last second.
If he can assert the jab early and lull an unsuspecting Edwards into it, Nqothole might be able to turn on the weapon with a big left hook to major results.
Who has the edge in Edwards vs. Nqothole?
I’m going to side with Edwards for his experience against bigger-name opponents. That said, he must have high output as Nqothole’s jab appears to be potent and Edwards must get inside of it with peppery punches to properly line up a shot against IBF titleholder Willibaldo Garcia Perez next.
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