What had all the appearance of a high-stakes encounter took place before an enthusiastic crowd at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England on November 30th. In previewing this bout, this observer pointed out that the strategy of Edwards, a fighter with only four knockouts in twenty-one previous fights going into this encounter, and one who was used to going a world championship distance of twelve rounds, would look to try and extend Yafai into the deep waters of the fight, otherwise known as the later rounds. The question was whether he would be able to use what was a significant edge in terms of experience to control the tempo of the fight against a fighter in Yafai, who was only competing in his ninth professional fight, but had six knockouts in his eight career wins leading to this bout.
The combat that occurred in this fight can best be described as one fighter pinning himself to his opponent's chest like a magnet, as well as a masterclass in the implementation and execution of an attack to an opponent’s body. From the opening bell, Yafai put Edwards on the defensive and nearly dropped him with a hook to the head in the opening seconds of the fight.
In some ways, Yafai’s approach reminded this observer of the approach often implemented by the legendary Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. from the standpoint that more often than not, Chavez would pin himself to an opponent's chest where it made it nearly impossible for his opponent to not only move, but more specifically, to get space where that fighter could not only get air, but also attempt to gain control of the pace of the combat. Chavez also had one strategy in implementing this approach, to back his opposition up against the ropes and attack the opponent’s body, then as the opponent gradually slowed down and would drop his hands due to the accumulation of body punches, which not only takes a fighter’s legs away and their ability to move, but also limits the ability to raise their arms, Chavez would land hard thudding punches to the head.
Yafai essentially brought what yours truly refers to as the “Chavez Attack" back in this fight as he stayed pinned to Edwards and simply did not give him room to breathe. This along with a relentless attack to the body and head, had me questioning after four rounds as to whether Edwards’ corner might stop the fight to prevent their fighter from further punishment. Simply put, much as Chavez did many years ago against opponent after opponent as he carved out his Hall of Fame career, Yafai suffocated Edwards where he simply could not move and could not keep Yafai off of him. Although it is rare for yours truly to be questioning whether a fight that did not feature knockdowns would be stopped after four rounds of a scheduled twelve rounds, it did not take long for the contest to be decided and one fighter was taking a one way beating.
As the punishment only increased, it would finally and mercifully be brought to a halt by Referee Lee Every, who finally stepped in and put a stop to the fight as Edwards was in a position he was frequently throughout the bout, pinned against the ropes, at 1:10 of round six. Ultimately, there is not much one could say beyond saying that this bout was one-sided and the referee showed mercy when perhaps Edwards’ corner should have stopped the fight sooner.
For Galal Yafai, this signals the most significant victory of his career thus far and it will be interesting to see whether now as the WBC’s mandatory challenger in the Flyweight division will mean that he will challenge Kenshiro Teraji in his next fight. Despite only having nine professional fights, his dominant performance in this fight, which was a risk by his handlers by putting him in a world title elimination bout with limited experience, he has earned the opportunity.
The second loss in Sunny Edwards’ career for the moment appears as though it will be his last as he announced his retirement in the ring after the fight in a post-fight interview with digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. While Edwards is certainly not the first fighter to declare that he would be hanging up his gloves in the immediate aftermath of a fight after coming out on the losing end, which is often considered an emotional reaction, it is important to remember that this is the second knockout loss he has suffered in his career, but also in a relatively short period after being stopped in nine rounds by Jesse Rodriguez in December of last year in a scenario that was not unlike the one where he found himself in this fight. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that Edwards has competed in one of Boxing’s lower weight divisions for his whole career as a 112lb. Flyweight. Although there have been exceptions where fighters in Boxing’s lowest divisions do have long careers, it is not uncommon to see fighters in those weight classes retire at a younger age as compared to fighters who compete at heavier weights. It remains to be seen whether the twenty-eight year old Edwards will have a change of heart down the line, but one should also consider the punishment a fighter suffers not just in a fight itself, but also while in training, which includes sparring as well as often struggles in making weight, which often proves to be more significant in lower weight classes.
There is after all only so much a body can take and regardless of what weight a fighter competes, it is always better to get out while one still has all their facilities and still have the ability to do other things and enjoy their lives. Although ultimately a fighter is the only one who can make the decision as to when it is time to retire and that is not exclusive to Boxing, but in all combat sports, all too often we see what happens to many fighters later in life where the toll of a long career and the punishment sustained during it leads to significant medical problems. If Sunny Edwards proves to be one of the fighters to end his career on his own terms where he can still enjoy his life, the fruits of his labor, and not suffer the long-term effects that often come with a long career, he may have lost his last fight, but he still left the ring a winner.
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