TO the victor goes the spoils, to the loser goes retirement.
It was a surprising revelation from Sunny Edwards last night after his sixth-round stoppage loss to Galal Yafai in Birmingham. The former flyweight world champion announced his career was over during the post-fight interview.
While Edwards doesn’t plan to fight again, there are four winners from last night’s card who move on to 2025 with titles, greater ambition and options to consider. But who will Galal Yafai, Conah Walker, Kieron Conway and Cameron Vuong fight next? Boxing News looks to the future…
Galal Yafai
Yafai, 9-0 (7 KOs), was at his relentless best last night against Edwards, 21-2 (4 KOs). From the opening bell his plan was clear and it worked to a tee. The 31-year-old now holds the WBC Interim flyweight belt which gives him a one-way ticket to a world title shot.
Former long-reigning light flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji, 24-1 (15 KOs), now holds the WBC title at flyweight and a trip to Japan beckons for Yafai who won Olympic Gold at the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021. Yafai may be persuaded, however, to move to super-flyweight and take on WBC champion and generational talent Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
Conah Walker
‘The Wolf’ kept himself in the domestic pack of welterweights after beating former British lightweight champion Lewis Ritson, 23-5 (13 KOs). Walker, 14-3-1 (5 KOs), should be aiming to win a significant domestic title in 2025 and has certainly done enough to land the winner of the upcoming British title fight between Harry Scarff, 13-3 (3 KOs), and Liam Taylor, 27-2-1 (14 KOs). Hunting down European champion Samuel Molina, 30-3 (15 KOs), could be on the agenda as well. But if none of that piques interest then just imagine how good Walker v Ekow Essuman, 21-1 (8 KOs) would be.
Kieron Conway
After seeing a potential potful of cash in Prizefighter disappear, Kieron Conway, 22-3 (6 KOs), got himself a consolation prize by winning the Commonwealth middleweight title against Ryan Kelly, 19-5-1 (8 KOs). Conway can now look forward to a British title shot against next week’s winner of Brad Pauls, 19-1-1 (11 KOs), and Denzel Bentley, 20-3-1 (17 KOs). With a world title shot on the horizon, however, there is every chance the belt could become vacant. Conway could instead face Shakiel Thompson, 13-0 (9 KOs), placing not just the Lonsdale belt on the line but Thompson’s top 10 ranking with the WBO as well.
Cameron Vuong
The 22-year-old found himself in deep waters against Gavin Gwynne, 17-4-1 (5 KOs), but survived the marauding Welshman, passing a huge test in just his seventh fight. The fallout from the result and the scorecards leaves a potential rematch against Gwynne as the obvious option for Vuong, 7-0 (3 KOs). Going back in with the 34-year-old might not be the smartest option, however. An ageing blown up South American veteran who fought for a world title several years ago is the type of opponent we see in with British prospects and after last night Vuong’s team will look for something more straightforward in his next bout.
