Timothy Bradley Jr.’s take: Jesse Rodriguez’s punching power vs. Sunny Edwards’

Boxing is like an unsynchronized dance ritual. Picture a dancer flowing to music. That’s how a boxer fights — all movements are part of a rhythm. All fighters groove to their own beat. Every move has consequences and can feel odd for opponents, even those with tons of experience. Like a dancer who moves, spins, and twirls to the beat of music, a boxer throws punches in sequences and evades shots governed by the internal presence of their rhythm.

On Saturday, the flyweight division will be at the center of attention, showcasing two of the best rhythm-fighters in the 112-pound weight class.

Two undefeated boxing champions, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez from San Antonio, Texas and Sunny Edwards from London, will fight to unify world titles at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. These two fighters are exceptional with their footwork, and the fight is all about who can handle the other’s tricky style by making proper adjustments throughout. Edwards is so confident in his abilities that he agreed to travel to America to defend his IBF flyweight title against Rodriguez, the WBO titleholder.

This fight will test strategy, skill, and willpower. Rodriguez has the punching power to hurt Edwards, but Edwards has the athletic style and rhythm that can throw off Rodriguez’s best game. Let’s take a deeper look at the matchup.

An “old-school” matchup

In a boxing match, fighters engage and become entangled in a dance battle. Some fighters have a unique style and rhythm, like Emanuel Augustus, “The Drunken Master,” who gave Floyd Mayweather one of the most challenging fights of his undefeated career 23 years ago. Augustus understood the essence of a broken rhythm, and behind his drunken-like movements, he used dancing, shifting, twisting, and turning in and out of range without breaking stride. Mayweather beat Augustus, but it did not come easily.

Augustus’ moves were so tricky and unexpected that it made it hard for most opponents to time him and know what he would do next. If a boxer’s rhythm is unusual, it can confuse their opponent and make the fight significantly more troubling for them.

One of the greatest flyweights during his time, Panama Al Brown, born Alfonso Teofilo Brown, was famous in the 1920s. His style was fluid and well before his time. He was 5-foot-9 (tall for this weight class) with a 72½ -inch reach. He was so smooth and fast, moving around his opponents like a ballet dancer, that he would dismantle his competitors. He had a style that was hard to understand. His movements, agility, and wittiness confused opponents and went against boxing’s conventional wisdom.

Edwards contrasts the style of the…