This weekend, all eyes will be on the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, UK, where the captivating all-English derby between Sunny Edwards and Galal Yafai will take center stage on Saturday night. On one side, we have the former IBF flyweight champion, stripped of his title by the formidable Jesse Rodriguez in a sensational unification battle a year ago. On the other, the undefeated Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist, hungrier than ever. Who will claim the vacant WBC Interim Flyweight title in this Matchroom Boxing main event promoted by Eddie Hearn?
Sunny Edwards: Minimal Power, Maximum Skill
This writer has always admired boxers who reach the pinnacle of the sport despite significant deficits in punching power. When your punches lack sting, the difficulty level of being in a boxing ring skyrockets: your opponent feels no hesitation in relentlessly pressing forward, and convincing the judges of your superiority requires you to land two or three times as many punches. Boxers like Sunny Edwards are, therefore, true rarities. The English athlete, as evidenced by his KO percentage (under 20%), is almost entirely devoid of the power needed to command respect from his opponents. Yet, he has crafted a remarkable career.
Footwork, speed, defense, masterful use of the jab, and cat-like reflexes are some of the qualities that have propelled Edwards to the professional boxing world stage. For a few rounds, he even held his own against the elite Jesse Rodriguez before “Bam” resorted to brute force to take over the fight.
Galal Yafai: A Master at Exploiting Amateur Boxing Rules
Some argue that amateur and professional boxing are essentially two different sports. Others see them as two sides of the same coin, asserting that top amateur performers often excel in the pro ranks as well. While highly talented boxers frequently succeed in both worlds, some unique rules of amateur boxing undeniably influence who ascends to the Olympic podium.
In particular, the shorter bouts and the use of shock-absorbing gloves, much less damaging than those used in the pros, favor an aggressive, high-volume style. Fighters who press relentlessly and throw an overwhelming number of punches during the three rounds tend to excel. Galal Yafai’s Olympic gold medal should be seen in this context. Even when facing technically superior opponents with cleaner trajectories and more polished movements, Yafai smothered them all with his insane work rate, powerful right hook, and immense physical strength.
Sunny Edwards vs Galal Yafai: What Will Happen? Boxe Punch’s Prediction
This bout will likely see both fighters pushing to drag the other onto their preferred terrain. In a technical fight fought at long range, emphasizing speed and timing, Edwards would dominate every moment. Conversely, a close-quarters brawl would allow Yafai to leverage his significant physical advantages.
We can expect a scenario where Edwards uses the full breadth of the ring, moving ceaselessly on his feet, peppering his rival with jabs and sudden right hands, while Yafai tries to trap him and pin him against the ropes, denying him the space to showcase his creativity and flair.
To determine who will prevail, we must first ask who can keep the fight on their terms for a longer period, thereby minimizing the opponent’s strengths while maximizing their own most dangerous weapons.
In this tactical battle—a mix of chess match and primal struggle for territory—Galal Yafai faces two significant obstacles. The first is that the fight is scheduled for twelve rounds. Maintaining the frenetic pace that propelled him to amateur glory for 36 minutes instead of 9 will be incredibly tough. Breaks and drops in intensity over the course of the bout will be unavoidable.
The second challenge for the Birmingham fighter is Sunny Edwards’ extraordinary ability to defend against the ropes. With his prodigious evasive skills, Edwards can minimize the damage from the onslaughts of those trying to overwhelm him.
While many believe that the only way to discourage a high-volume puncher is to hurt them, repeatedly making them miss can also serve as a strong disincentive, often leading to demoralization. History is rife with cases of fighters whose usually suffocating work rate plummeted against opponents who continually made the target “disappear.”
Galal Yafai is hungry for success and knows that at 31 years old, he doesn’t have much time left to enrich his resume, especially in a weight class where aging often impacts performance more rapidly and significantly than in heavier divisions. The former Olympic gold medalist will leave everything in the ring to try to overturn the slightly unfavorable bookmaker odds.
However, determination, willpower, and a massive energy expenditure won’t be enough, in this writer’s opinion, to break Sunny Edwards’ resilience and pride. “Showtime,” as the former world champion is known, demonstrated in his tough loss to Jesse Rodriguez that he has a big heart and knows how to dig deep when needed. Against a tough, rugged opponent who is technically less gifted than “Bam,” he should be able to weather the rough patches—which will undoubtedly come—and make his superior skill evident every time Yafai is forced to ease off.
I predict a well-deserved points victory for Sunny Edwards, with margins of about four points on the judges’ scorecards.