While Boxing’s lower weight divisions do not always receive consistent exposure here in the United States, it is often the lower weight classes that offer battles often fought at a high pace and no shortage of action. This fight figures to follow in that tradition. In this case, this particular bout has an interesting contrast in a former world champion looking to get back into position to fight for a world championship going against a young, unbeaten contender, who some might feel has yet to be tested.
Edwards is looking to continue momentum after scoring a technical decision win in his last fight in June of this year over Adrian Curiel in a bout that was halted in the ninth round. Now going into his second bout since losing his IBF crown in December of last year in a unification bout with WBO world champion Jesse Rodriguez, a fight where Edwards stopped in nine rounds, the former champion faces what could be a significant threat in the heavy handed Galal Yafai.
Yafai, who is unbeaten in eight professional fights, has scored knockouts in six of those bouts registering a career knockout percentage of 75%. The former 2016 Olympian is coming off of a third round stoppage of Sergio Oliva in September of this year. Although Yafai has shown the ability to score quick knockouts thus far as a professional, he has only been made to go a ten round distance twice in his career and this could be crucial in a scenario where he will not only be facing a former world champion for the first time in his career, but will also be facing an opponent in Edwards, who has significant experience, particularly at the world championship level.
Edwards only has four knockouts in his twenty-one wins, but what he brings with him into this fight is not only more total experience as a professional than Yafai, not only more experience at or near the top of the sport, but more specifically, he is experienced in going the distance. The strategy for the former world champion would therefore appear obvious. To try and avoid Yafai’s power and try to extend him into the deep waters of the fight, the later rounds.
Yafai has shown he can go ten rounds twice in his career. The question will be whether Edwards will be able to control the tempo of the combat from very early in the fight where the pace could put Yafai to the test. It could be a task that may well be easier said than done if Yafai can find a way to limit Edwards’ movement and land his power punches more than periodically. Yafai has shown power in both hands and one of the strategies to combat a tactical boxer that uses significant lateral movement is to not only try to cut the ring off to limit that fighter’s ability to move, but to also try and implement a consistent attack to the body, which could slow the opponent down as the fight progresses.
What will be the goal for the winner of this fight is also obvious. The winner will become the official mandatory challenger for current WBC world champion Kenshiro Teraji. While nothing is set in stone as of this writing, one could assume that a fight between the winner of this fight and Taraji could be aimed for sometime in early 2025.
“And That's The Boxing Truth."
Edwards vs.Yafai takes place on Saturday, November 30th at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT. (*U.S. Times Only.*)
For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.
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