Lewis Edmondson opens up on comeback from septicaemia and eyes Ben Whittaker fight
Watch Lauren Price challenge Jessica McCaskill in her first world title fight in Cardiff on Saturday, live on Sky Sports; Vasiliy Lomachenko then faces George Kambosos Jr in Australia on Sunday
Thursday 9 May 2024 12:23, UK
After recovering from a life-threatening illness, Southampton's Lewis Edmondson will take nothing for granted when he steps into the ring this Saturday.
Before returning to boxing towards the end of 2022, the undefeated light heavyweight was told on two occasions that he had septicaemia - a serious type of blood poisoning.
Even now, no one truly knows what the cause of his potentially fatal condition was.
"Boxing has always been a big part of my life, but it got to a point where, when I was on death's door, it got pushed to the back of my mind," Edmondson said, recalling a time in training when he attempted to patch up his open wound.
"You're just thinking about being healthy, and trying to survive. There were definitely some dark moments."
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Having undergone multiple operations - all of which were unsuccessful - Edmondson found himself beginning to lose faith. But, while he was constantly reminded of the risks involved in each surgical procedure, at no point did he accept the possibility of giving up on his sport.
"We're fighters; we're born fighters," Edmondson said. "Looking back on it now, I realise how severe it actually was but, at the time, you're just trying to stay strong and get through it.
"There were times when my family, friends and old amateur coach came to see me in hospital, and I remember them getting very upset. I was very skinny, and very light."
When an operation with a 99 per cent success rate had failed, Edmondson knew that he needed to seek the help of a specialist.
In the end, it was two surgeons who cured him, by which point the trepidation had reached unprecedented levels before, finally, the 28-year-old received some good news.
Edmondson said: "The surgeon, who teamed up with someone else, is known for fixing all the people that can't get fixed. But the biggest operation he's ever had was with me.
"I'm not one of these people that's going to sit there whinging. You've just got to get on with it, and that's the same with anything in life. There's always going to be people in worse situations.
"Now, I'm just thankful to be healthy and back on my journey, fulfilling my childhood dream."
With his ring rust dusted off, Edmondson will face Portsmouth's Joel McIntyre in a South Coast derby on the undercard of Jessica McCaskill vs Lauren Price in Cardiff.
While he looks forward to colliding with a man he knows well - with the pair having shared numerous rounds in sparring - it is not the domestic dustup that he was anticipating.
During the Chris Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak press conference last December, Edmondson took the opportunity to confront Ben Whittaker, throwing down his gauntlet in the hope that the Olympian would welcome his challenge.
However, with Whittaker now scheduled to face Ezra Arenyeka at Selhurst Park on June 15, Edmondson has been left somewhat frustrated by the 26-year-old's elusiveness.
He said: "[Whittaker] doesn't want to fight. He doesn't like the idea of it.
"I don't think he's got the coconuts [to fight me], but hopefully we can meet somewhere down the road."
Since his scintillating performance in Tokyo where, in 2021, he secured a silver medal at the Olympics, Whittaker has been building his profile in the professional ranks at an unrelenting rate.
His flamboyant style lends itself to both praise and criticism, though, as a tendency to showboat in between flurries of mesmerising combinations does, for the most part, give his detractors ample ammunition.
"The more I watch him, the more he makes me laugh," Edmondson said. "Of course I want to fight him, because I know I'll be all over him like a rash.
"As a businessman, he's sold himself very well. But do I think he's the real deal? No."
For Edmonson, a shot at the British belt is not a million miles away and, with a coveted title on the line, it might just be enough to change Whittaker's mind.
"I'm hoping to break into the top 10 [in Britain]," he said. "I think Joshua Buatsi will vacate his [British, European and Commonwealth] titles soon, so they'll be up for grabs and I'd love to fight someone for them."
In recent years, the south coast of England has seen a meteoric rise in sporting talent.
With Billam-Smith winning the WBO cruiserweight title at the Vitality Stadium last year, Bournemouth were able to crown their first world champion since Freddie Mills.
In turn, this has led to an overall growth in popularity for other fighters based in the region.
"If I'd have had six to eight weeks' notice [for my next fight], with tickets in hand, I would be bringing 1,000 fans [to Cardiff]," Edmondson said. "Hopefully next time, we can bring the whole army."
After appearing on the undercard of Lawrence Okolie vs Billam-Smith, and getting a sense of the atmosphere that a big stadium show can garner, Edmondson has set his sights on an eventual fight at the home of his beloved Southampton FC, St Mary's Stadium.
He said: "That's what dreams are made of. I believe that, one day, it will happen."
But first, he must get past McIntyre.
It's one of the biggest sporting events in a generation. Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk collide for the undisputed world heavyweight championship on Saturday May 18, live on Sky Sports Box Office. Book the fight now.
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