The Sheffield boxing revolution that could mirror Kell Brook's achievement

The son of Sheffield despatched undefeated welterweight Shawn Porter on points, at the StubHub Center, Carson, in a night few South Yorkshire fight fans will ever forget.

Brook hadn't been favourite despite the 24 previous wins to his credit.

But his technique and mindset that night in California - forged at the Ingle gym in Wincobank - impressed two of the three judges; the third thought it had been a draw.

Brook hadn't been favourite despite the 24 previous wins to his credit.

Yet his technique and mindset that night in California - forged at the Ingle gym in Wincobank - impressed two of the three judges; the third thought it had been a draw.

Brook returned to Sheffield with the IBF belt and that changed his life with moneyspinning fights to follow against Gennadiy Golovkin, Errol Spence Jr, Terence Crawford and Amir Khan.

During those years as the tail-end of Brook's career beckoned, a revolution was underway a few short miles away at the Steel City gym, Darnall.

Grant Smith was making his name as a trainer and bringing through some incredible talent.

One of these is Sunny Edwards, now 27.

He might not look like a modern version of Brook - and he definitely does not sound like him, either.

The 5ft 3ins flyweight sounds more Crystal Palace than Sheffield United, more Croyden than Crookes.

But in 2015 he left London for Sheffield, to train at Smith's Steel City, and began taking his boxing career to a whole new level.

In 2021, in his 16th professional fight, he was crowned as another Sheffield-raised, if not Sheffield-born, IBF champion.

He has defended that prestige title four times, flourishing under Smith's remarkable direction, one which also guides boxers with similar potential; his own son Dalton as well as Rotherham's Junaid Bostan.

Edwards, unlike his forerunner Brook, is fighting at 112 pounds - a division which doesn't always catch the headlines in a sport dominated by the heavier weights.

The former Hallam University Sports Studies student's reputation and brand could go through roof on Saturday night, though.

In the Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona, he will be locking horns with a rival deemed to be the best in the world at flyweight, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

The 23-year-old unbeaten southpaw from San Antonio, Texas, reigns as WBO champion.

In other words, it is winner take all, a legitimate Matchroom-promoted battle that gets the juices running.

It's an overseas unification contest - they don't get much bigger than that for any Brit boxer.

Edwards is a chatty, intelligent man and is confident enough to express some of his inner most thoughts about the ring war he is about to take part in.

"Bam is probably the biggest and the hardest name in my division right now" he says, adding that it is this precisely level of competition he needs going forward.

“He’s a great fighter, but he’s not been in the ring with me yet.

"They're the fights I want to be in. I chase greatness, not fake, unbeaten records.”

Kell Brook's one-time pursuit of the same ideal - and Naseem Hamed before him - will always be part of local fight folklore.

Now Sheffield's boxing community will be hoping their adopted son will write a new page in the city's history.

*Saturday's undercard action, which features Eastwood's Bostan v Michigan's Gordie Russ should commence around 1am UK time, main event around 4am. It will be shown live on DAZN.