Tonight in Birmingham, of their years within the making grudge-match, Galal Yafai turned what virtually everybody thought was a real 50-50 combat stepping into right into a one-sided showcase of the winner’s brilliance. Yafai, after simply 9 professional fights, is the WBC interim champ at flyweight, his sixth spherical TKO win over former IBF champion Sunny Edwards having despatched shock-waves by means of the game.
(Credit score: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Yafai jumped proper on Edwards from the opening bell and there was completely no let up. Lastly, after relentless, two-handed stress from Yafai had once more pinned Edwards on the ropes as he teed off, the third man was moved to dive in and name a halt. The time was 1:10 of spherical six.
31 yr previous southpaw Yafai is now 9-0(7), whereas 28 yr previous Edwards falls to 21-2(4).
Once more, coming in, everybody had this as a choose ’em combat. As an alternative, Olympic gold medal winner Yafai gained each spherical and he obtained the stoppage win. Yafai was excellent tonight, his velocity, energy, aggression, accuracy and punch choice, to each head and physique, thrilling the group and all of us who had been watching dwell.
Edwards both pushed to the ropes or going there to try to discover one thing of a groove in preventing off the ropes, fired in some respectable pictures occasionally, however it was by no means near sufficient to maintain the rampaging Yafai off him. These two, who fought as amateurs so a few years in the past, had all of it to show tonight, and Yafai proved his standing in spades.
It was nice motion, albeit of a one-sided nature, and at no time did Yafai take his foot off the gasoline. Edwards really did properly to final so long as he did, with the youthful however extra skilled man wanting near being overwhelmed sooner than he really was. In brief, Edwards was crushed up.
The longer term now for Yafai appears limitless. With no flaws in his sport tonight – and to say once more, this in a combat that no person might choose a winner from stepping into – Yafai might be the king of the flyweights. The large fights will now come, and possibly Yafai can transfer up a division (or two) as he additional chases greatness.
However for now, Yafai can rejoice his win over previous beginner rival Edwards, a high-quality fighter who, on this night time, proved to be no match for Yafai. Edwards all however introduced his retirement in his post-fight interview. The longer term now belongs to Galal Yafai.
