By Declan Taylor
Galal Yafai meets Sunny Edwards in Birmingham tonight to finally leave his mark on the professional game. Beating Edwards would definitely be his best win, but what has been his best win so far?
April 6, 2024; Las Vegas, NV; Galal Yafai and Agustin Gauto during their fight on Saturday, April 6, 2024 at the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
CARLOS VADO BAUTISTA, 27.2.22, London – TKO 5
Having won the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, Yafai turned over amid much fanfare and was thrown in at the deep end on his debut with a 10-rounder against the tough Carlos Vado Bautista, who had a winning record. But Yafai clearly wanted to make a statement and did so by dismantling the Mexican visitor throughout the first four rounds before his corner pulled him out after 2:11 of the fifth.
TOMMY FRANK, 19.8.23, Birmingham – TKO 1
Former British champion Tommy Frank had been expected to give undefeated Yafai some resistance but he was down within 30 seconds from a thunderous right hook. Frank managed to beat the count but there was no let up from Yafai who continued to unload with both hands. The towel had already come in by the time that referee John Latham decided to wave it off with just 100 seconds gone.
AGUSTIN GAUTO, 6.4.24, Las Vegas – TKO 9
There could be some big Las Vegas nights later in Yafai’s career and he made sure his Sin City debut ended in style against the 21-1 Argentinean Agustin Gauto. The Brit also had to handle a cut from an accidental headbutt in the sixth but it did little to knock him off course. Yafai had kept a high pace throughout and Gauto looked exhausted by the time the stoppage came with 20 seconds left in the eighth as referee Raul Caiz Jr jumped in to stop what had become totally one-way traffic for Yafai.