Sunny Edwards and Galal Yafai faced off today at the launch press conference of their November 30 fight in Birmingham.
The contest, which will be held at the Resorts World Arena, will be for the WBC interim flyweight title, with the winner fighting for the vacant title in 2025. Edwards and Yafai are familiar foes, having shared the ring with each other 10 years ago as amateurs and spending years on the GB squad sparring countless rounds.
Since the pair’s first meeting a decade ago, both men have been on a collision course. Edwards took the professional route and picked up the IBF title with a standout win over Moruti Mthalane, while Yafai stuck around on the GB setup and won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“People don’t really know but we fought 10 years ago, this has been bubbling for years,” Yafai said. “He went on to win a world title, I went on to win Olympic gold. We both did our bit, and we are here now at a crossroads. Trust me, I don’t want to lose to Sunny Edwards, and he doesn’t want to lose to Galal Yafai.”
Edwards believes that it is the experience that both men have picked up since they last fought has prepared them for such an occasion and after sharing the ring countless times in sparring, believes the fans are in for a treat on November 30.
“We’ve both spent the last decade going around the world and facing the best challengers,” Edwards said. “I don’t fear losing, I don’t fear the harm another person can do to my body – especially not someone my size. Galal is probably one of the best and has been for a few years now. He’s shown that he’s taken the pro game like a duck to water.
“My footwork, my IQ, my decision making, my engine, my activity during rounds [will win me this fight],” he continued. “I’m very hard to win rounds against. He’s a fantastic fighter, and operator. The best thing about this fight is it’s going to give the fans something to watch back. The only fight that I’ve had is when I lost against Bam [Rodriguez]. I’m trying to have that fight worth watching back that I win. Against Galal we just start having it out straight away, we’re never too far away from each other.”
Yafai was asked what the fans could expect from the fight after sharing the ring with Edwards in sparring over the years and agreed with his rival that the fight would deliver an entertaining affair.
“If anyone has seen the spars, they know it’s a proper fight,” Yafai replied. “This is no bullshit fight. I know we’re flyweights, we’re small and people don’t care as much about our weights. But this is a proper fight, I’ve not come to lie down and take the money and run.
“I’m stubborn. Do you think I’m going to let Sunny come to Birmingham and run rings around me? Do you think he’s going to let me pressure him and beat him up? It ain’t going to happen. We’re both going to do what we can to win.”
During Yafai and Edwards’ time on the GB squad their rivalry first took shape. Yafai was selected to fight in a 2016 Olympic qualifier ahead of Edwards, a decision Edwards believes GB head coach and Yafai’s now trainer, Rob McCracken, made because of external factors and not based on talent. Yafai would go on to qualify for the 2016 Olympics and eventually win a gold medal at Tokyo 2020.
“My questions [of the decision] was never whether Galal was good enough or should have gone or shouldn’t of,” said Edwards. “My questions were more about the system. The same person who was training his brother [Kal Yafai] was making the decision about who got to go where and when during the Olympics, to qualifiers, and whatnot.
“It’s also the same person who’s negotiating with Eddie Hearn about this fight and the same person who’s going to be in the ring on fight night and they’re still training in the same gym. To me, it just seems like the game is a bit skewed.”
“It paid off, I won gold,” Yafai jokingly responded.
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