PORTSMOUTH’S own Derrick Osadolor is stepping into a new arena, literally. The 23-year-old decorated amateur heavyweight has officially signed a professional management deal with former world champion Sunny Edwards, marking the start of a promising new chapter in British boxing.
After racking up wins at the Hull Box Cup, BUCS Championships, and the prestigious Elite National Championships, Osadolor has decided now is the time to go all in.
“I been thinking about turning pro for a while,” he said. “In my head I thought I don’t want to go down the GB route. England was good, but I’m 23 now, by the time the Olympics comes around, I’ll be too old. I want to make my money and a name for myself now.”
Osadolor, who has amassed 31 amateur bouts, has long stood out in the domestic amateur scene. Now, he’s aiming higher, toward prize-fighting greatness and national recognition for both him and his city.
“Heavyweights get a lot of publicity, and I’m trying to put Portsmouth on the map,” he said. “I would love to fight in Portsmouth. They are always so supportive, and I can’t wait to deliver something for them one day.”
Despite the typical mould of a heavyweight, Osadolor draws inspiration from a much smaller fighter, Vasiliy Lomachenko, the Ukrainian technician renowned for his footwork and ring IQ.
“It’s weird as a heavyweight, but I idolise Lomachenko and his footwork. I try my hardest to incorporate things into my game inspired by him,” Osadolor said.
His move to the professional ranks came after an unexpected connection with Edwards, whose own ring intelligence and world championship pedigree impressed the young prospect.
“It was weird, my profile has been blowing up a little bit. I gave him a follow, sent him a message and it just went from there,” Osadolor recalled. “We got on the phone, and I just got along with him. I just said f**k it, it’s time for me to turn pro.”
The bond with Edwards extends beyond boxing credentials; there’s a sense of shared ambition and mutual trust.
“He knows what he’s doing, he’s hungry as a manager, and he knows where to direct me,” Osadolor said. “When you speak with someone who won it all, it strengthens my own belief that I’m headed in the right direction. I leave my trust in him.”
Though turning pro is a bold move, Osadolor remains grounded in the realities of development.
“I still have a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do. You’re never not developing, so it’s just about learning my craft, you can’t be caught making mistakes in the pro game,” he said.
Osadolor isn’t shy about his confidence either and he’s conscious of setting a new standard in the heavyweight division.
“I’m seeing too many people turn pro and they’re not good enough, so I thought let me set the bar.”
Backed by the University of Portsmouth, where he receives medical and performance support and still training out of his amateur gym, Heart of Portsmouth (HOP) boxing club, Osadolor is keeping close to his roots. With the city behind him and a champion guiding him, his future looks bright.
“In five years, I want to have had 20-plus fights and have built my name,” he said.
For now, the hard-hitting, Lomachenko-inspired heavyweight is all-in on the road ahead and Portsmouth may soon have a new name etched into British boxing history
