Galal Yafai produced a career-best performance last night to halt former world champion Sunny Edwards at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.
The 31-year-old came flying out of the blocks in the first round, keeping his opponent’s back against the ropes while applying a suffocating degree of pressure.
Soon enough, his methodical tactics were beginning to take shape, leaving Edwards with barely any space to evade Yafai’s attacks with his typically flashy movement.
And so, in the end, Yafai’s relentless pressure proved to be too much, allowing him to claim the WBC interim flyweight title with a punishing sixth-round stoppage.
Galal Yafai targets a clash with WBC titlist Kenshiro Teraji
Prior to their matchup, several boxing aficionados were favoring the experience of Edwards over the explosiveness of Yafai, who has now had just nine professional outings.
Edwards, after all, made four defenses of his IBF strap at 112 lbs before losing to pound-for-pound star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez last year.
But still, Yafai’s decorated amateur background has given him a different type of education, allowing him to raise his level in scintillating fashion last night.
And so, after beating his former amateur rival, the Olympic gold medallist now looks to take on formidable WBC flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji.
More than that, the Brit has expressed an interest in returning to Japan, knowing that he would be going back with fond memories.
“It’d be nice,” Yafai said at his post-fight press conference. “I loved it in Japan. I was there for a while at the Olympics. I managed to have [success] fighting there, winning Olympic gold.
“If I have to go there, I go. But at the moment, I just want to chill and relax. I’ll leave it up to Matchroom. I’ll just do the training and the fighting, and let them design who I fight.”
Could Galal Yafai face Jesse Rodriguez in the future?
Immediately after his dominant victory, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn teased a potential showdown between Yafai and Rodriguez.
Of course, both fighters currently have business to take care of, with Yafai seemingly looking to become a world champion against Teraji.
The Japanese star, meanwhile, has lost just one of his 25 professional contests, which he then avenged in an immediate rematch with Masamichi Yabuki.
Should he get past Teraji, though, a potential battle between Yafai and ‘Bam’ could suddenly make a lot more sense.