Yafai demolishes Edwards in six rounds as the bloodline feud is finished

There was pure respect between Sunny Edwards and Galal Yafai, as Yafai demolished Edwards in a one-sided fight, with the referee raving waving off the fight in the sixth round as Edwards was stopped on his feet against old friend and family rival at the BP Pulse Live on Saturday in Birmingham, Yafai’s hometown. 

The former IBF flyweight champion made a startling admission at the end of the second round; in front of trainer Chris Williams, he made a distressing statement a fighter can make. “Can I be real, Chris?" Edwards asked, as his face was showing signs of wear and tear. “I don’t want to be here.” In a commendable and brave admission, a boxer must be known as a gladiator, a warrior, when they step through the ropes. Edwards never quit; he was not looking to be pulled out from the corner. He was just telling the gut-wrenching truth that the fight had left him. Edwards has always been open about his feelings, his troubles away from the ring and the brutal nature of the sport. 

Yafai was economical and relentless with his constant front foot pressure and punch output in rounds three, four, five and six and took an emphatic pounding. Edwards gave it all, taking sustained punishment as the finish was inevitable.  

Yafai claimed the vacant WBC interim flyweight title and set himself up for a possible shot at WBC full titlist Kenshiro Terajii of Japan. Edwards and Yafai sparred hundreds of rounds with each other as amateurs, as they were members of the Great Britain national team. Yafai, the 2020 Olympic gold medallist, avenged the loss in the amateur fight in 2015. 

Yafai was fantastic from the opening bell as he wore Edwards down and overwhelmed him from the opening seconds. Edwards was unable to use his lateral movement as Yafai took the space away. Yafai 31, in just his ninth fight, and first scheduled twelve- round fight, proved he would be a tough fight for anyone in the flyweight and super flyweight division. 

Edwards, who lost for only the second time in his 23-fight career, the first loss against Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, announced his decision to retire, saying: “I'll be real, if I won the fight, I was going into the sunset. This is the last thing that I wanted to do, get the scalp of the Olympic champion.” Edwards added: “If I’m being perfectly honest, my body’s falling apart, man. I’ve got bad ankles, I’ve got bad wrists, I’ve got bad shoulders, I’ve got a bad back, everything about me is bad at this moment.”