GALAL Yafai scored the biggest win of his career, stopping former world champion Sunny Edwards in round six of their Birmingham headliner.
“People underrated me. I boxed Kazakhs, Cubans, the greatest fighters in the world,” stated Yafai after his big win for the WBC Interim flyweight title. “Sunny’s a technical boxer, he’s at the top, a former world champion. Tonight was a better feeling, beating Sunny [than winning Olympic gold].”
Yafai started strongly, storming out of the blocks, launching a powerful right hand that had Edwards in trouble and glad to get out of the opening round. Told by Robert McCracken not to throw too wide, Yafai made Sunny stand and trade with him in the second.
After trainer Chris Williams asked his charge how he was feeling, Edwards responded, “I don’t want to be here,” and proceeded to shell up along the ropes. Williams continued trying to motivate him with some robust language.
Sunny stepped off the ropes in round three and landed a couple of good hooks. The confidence seemed to rise temporarily as he swaggered back to his corner, receiving another mouthful from Williams. How long could he sustain this pace?
More to the point, how much longer could he avoid Yafai’s relentless aggression? The close of the fourth was another torrid period for Edwards, who looked fatigued. Yafai was following the Bam blueprint of smothering Sunny, closing off his escape routes.
While Edwards was enjoying moments of joy (particularly with the uppercut), Yafai wasn’t even blowing. He attempted to throw something in return as referee Lee Every summoned the doctor to look at a potential Yafai ear injury. One round later, it was all over.
Mr Every prompted Edwards to throw back and show him something. Sunny retreated further into his physical and metaphorical shell as the shots rained in. Every hovered with intent, jumping in at 1-10 of the sixth round.
Galal Yafai is now 9-0 (7 KOs), while Sunny Edwards suffered a second career loss, falling to 21-2 (4 KOs). He later announced his retirement before addressing the comments after round two, stating that he had been focusing more on business and family interests and no longer felt the fire in the belly required to rule once again.
