Richard Schaefer rates Sunny Edwards as one of the top five boxers in the world for pure skill.

Probellum President Schaefer has delivered the headline-making verdict in the week Edwards defends his IBF world flyweight title against Felix Alvarado. 

The unbeaten Edwards – known as ‘Showtime’ – faces the most dangerous fight of his career against Alvarado on Friday night at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield and knows he must be close to perfect to see off the hard-hitting Nicaraguan. 

But Schaefer is backing Sunny to deliver the goods once again by using the skillset that, he believes, puts the 26-year-old among the very best boxers on the planet. 

“His ability to slip punches is at the absolute highest level of any weight class and from a skill point of view, I would rank Sunny Edwards today, in the top five pound-for-pound. That's how good he is,” Schaefer said. 

“He has the skills which and that will to win, and those qualities, combined with his confidence and his attitude, means he is a tough nut to crack.” 

Edwards is unbeaten in 18 fights as a professional and wants to land a mega fight with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in 2023 but is under no illusions about the task directly in front of him. 

Edwards said: “Alvarado was a world champion at the weight below, he has 33 KOs on his record, and he has boxed at the highest level.  He’s a big punching Nicaraguan, who has had more knockouts than I’ve had fights and he is hungry for this.”