Sunny Edwards retires after Galal Yafai earns dominant win

Galal Yafai proved he was greater than prepared for Sunny Edwards as he stormed to a sensational sixth-round stoppage win over the previous world flyweight champion, who afterwards introduced his retirement.

Yafai captured the WBC interim flyweight title with the TKO one minute and 10 seconds into Spherical 6 in solely his ninth skilled struggle on Saturday and took an enormous step in the direction of a world title shot.

Yafai (9-0, 7 KOs), 31, ranks the win over his British rival Edwards in entrance of his residence metropolis followers on the BP Pulse LIVE (previously referred to as the NEC) in Birmingham, England, because the spotlight of his profession alongside his Olympic gold medal triumph in 2021.

“I used to be apprehensive going into camp due to how good Sunny is and I skilled my a— off,” Yafai stated.

“I boxed Cubans and Kazakhs as an newbie so I used to be used to that fashion like Sunny’s. Sunny is a technical boxer, he is No. 1 in division. We had nice spars previously [as amateurs and professionals] however fights are totally different. Beating Sunny tonight was a greater feeling than standing on the rostrum [after winning Olympic gold in 2021].”

Avenging a factors defeat to Edwards 9 years in the past after they have been amateurs, was a candy second for Yafai. Victory additionally secures Yafai a shot at Japan’s Kenshiro Teraji (24-1, 15 KOs), 32, the WBC world flyweight champion, subsequent.

However whereas Yafai’s profession strikes to the subsequent stage, Edwards is completed. Edwards (21-2, 4 KOs), 28, had a three-year reign as world champion and claims he has misplaced his want to proceed boxing.

This was Edwards’ second defeat in three fights, following a ninth-round stoppage to American Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in a title unification struggle a 12 months in the past, which ended his reign as IBF world flyweight champion after 4 defenses.

“Win, lose or draw I used to be retiring tonight, I haven’t got the identical vitality for the game,” Edwards stated.

“I put a lot vitality into my first six or seven years. I want a break. Sunny Edwards 12 months in the past would have gone longer than six rounds.

“For the primary time ever I’ve been desirous about stuff outdoors of boxing. When you do not have the fireplace within the stomach anymore, the proof is within the ring.”

Edwards regarded like he didn’t wish to be within the ring at occasions as Yafai bullied him from begin to end to settle their rivalry in his favour.

Yafai, who trains in Sheffield, was chosen over Edwards to compete on the 2016 Olympics and the episode nonetheless bothers Edwards.

Edwards needed to make a press release, however he was at risk of being overwhelmed amid a ferocious begin from Yafai. The Birmingham-based southpaw unloaded a stream of incessant hooks within the opening three rounds, and Edwards got here very near hitting the canvas early within the first spherical as his knees dipped.

Edwards, who’s from south London however trains in Liverpool and lives in Sheffield, linked with some single pictures late within the third spherical, nevertheless it was a short salvo. Yafai maintained the relentless stress within the fourth spherical and Edwards took some large pictures on the ropes.

Yafai, whose elder brother Kal dominated as WBA world junior bantamweight from 2016 to 2020, supplied Edwards no respite from begin to end of a relentless onslaught and when he landed a barrage of unanswered punches within the sixth spherical, the struggle was sensibly stopped.