Edmondson enjoyed some success in the early rounds, landing flicking shots while constantly switching stances. As the bout wore on, Azeez’s jab was becoming a weapon and Edmondson’s output understandably slowed. His holding was increasing as a result.
In round eight, referee Kevin Parker, who was becoming more involved and dishing out lectures, deducted a point from ‘The Saint’ who was by now a repeat offender.
Edmondson responded with a stronger ninth round and seemed to be getting more resilient down the stretch, despite his comparative lack of 12-round experience. The energy levels held up and he impressed the officials enough to take the titles home.
“We dug deep, jumped in at the deep end,” said an exhausted Edmondson, 10-0 (3 KOs).
“It’s what I was born to do. I want to sit down with my team and see what the next steps are. The future’s bright.”
Dan Azeez is now 20-2-1 (13 KOs) and recent performances suggest a gradual decline for the ex-European king who was on the verge of world level at one stage. That seems to be a long time ago now.