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Having been rumoured for a few weeks, we now have confirmation that former IBF flyweight champion Sunny Edwards will face 2020 Olympic gold medallist Galal Yafai on November 30 at BP Pulse LIVE in Birmingham.
Edwards, one of the best pure technicians in Britain, lost both his belt and his undefeated record in December, when going up against Jesse Rodriguez, a man even better, and more skilled, than Edwards. Since then, Edwards has boxed once, beating Adrian Curiel in June. He will now be hoping to not only add Yafai’s scalp to his record, but also soon work his way back towards a title shot.
Yafai, meanwhile, is three years Edwards’ senior at 31 yet boasts just a fraction of the Londoner’s professional experience. Yafai, in fact, is just 7-0 (5) as a pro and is still to mix it with anybody in Edwards’ class. He has a first-round knockout of Tommy Frank, a 10-round decision over Rocco Santomauro, and an eighth-round stoppage of Agustin Gauto on his record, but will know that Edwards, who beat Yafai when they boxed as amateurs, represents a considerable step up in competition.
Edwards, 21-1 (4), said: “This fight has always been inevitable. Our last names hold weight in British boxing and around the world and it’s really time to put to bed the Edwards-Yafai saga.
“Being overlooked for the Olympic Games because of family relationships and city ties lit a fire all those years back. I beat Galal and was shelved in the same year back in 2015 and now this is my chance to show Britain who the real golden boy is.”
“I’m happy that the fight has been made,” said Yafai. “This is going to be a massive fight for British boxing. I need to win a world title, and this is a fight that will put me on the cusp of fighting for one when I win in my hometown on November 30.”