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

Charlie Edwards says he won't fall victim to his brother Sunny Edwards' "mind games" as he prepares to fight Thomas Essomba on Friday at London's York Hall.

Edwards, 31, takes on the European bantamweight champion Essomba, who is managed by fellow boxer, Sunny.

Sunny will be ringside on fight night cheering on the Cameroonian-British fighter instead of his older brother.

"I've dealt with little Sunny Edwards all my life. You know your little brother, the annoying little one, always trying to bat him off?" Edwards said.

"We'll see what smirk little comments he's got to come with or little mind games he'll try and play. It's no skin off my nose."

Sunny will be ringside on fight night, but he has opted against being among Essomba's corner team, deciding to sit directly beside them instead.

Charlie came face to face with Sunny at the news conference on Thursday.

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

"He said he was going to sit this one out [as a corner man].

"That speaks volumes to me that he is not confident in this fighter. He knows what's going down."

Edwards is on the comeback trial at a new weight after a 19-month break from boxing following a spell as WBC flyweight champion between 2018 and 2019.

The Londoner has just one loss on his record in 20 fights while 36-year-old Essomba has accumulated eight defeats in 21 bouts.

Sunny, who is also a former world champion at flyweight, says he intends to use his presence to get under his brother's skin.

"The biggest reaction I've got to this fight is, 'oh you're choosing money over blood, and how are you doing that to your brother?' But the funniest thing is, I have never taken a penny off Thomas," Sunny said.

"Come fight night you're going to see me very well dressed, smiling. Making it all about me to be honest. I think that's how I'm going to get Charlie."

While the presence of a family member in the opposite corner might be a distraction to some fighters, Charlie says he is "grateful" to his brother who helped make the fight with Essomba happen.

"Really he's delivered me his fighter, the European title, on a platter when I was in the 'who needs him' club," Edwards said.

"No one wanted to fight me, no one wanted to entertain me. They were just leaving me out on the sidelines because I am too good a fighter.

"So you know what, Sunny Edwards, I am so thankful, so grateful.

"The power is in my hand, I am going to go out there and do a number.

"On Friday night I am going to give you a big hug."