December 1st 2024.
Sunny Edwards, the British boxer, faced a tough defeat to Galal Yafai, the Olympic champion. The match, held at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham, saw Yafai dominate from the very beginning. In the sixth round, the referee ended the bout, awarding Yafai the interim WBC flyweight belt. This marks the end of Edwards' impressive career with a record of 21 wins and 2 defeats.
It was a particularly emotional moment for Edwards as he announced his retirement after the match. The 28-year-old had previously reigned as the IBF flyweight champion from 2021 to 2023. However, during the fight, he made a shocking confession to his trainer Chris Williams. In the second round, Edwards admitted that he "didn't want to be here". His trainer responded sternly, telling him to stop feeling sorry for himself and focus on the fight.
This fight was a rematch of their previous encounter as amateurs in 2015, which Edwards had won. However, this time around, Yafai emerged victorious, extending his unbeaten record to nine wins. After the match, Edwards spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live and revealed that this was always going to be his last fight, win or lose. He had hinted at it in his social media posts, referring to it as "the last dance".
Edwards also shared the toll that his boxing career had taken on his body. He had been struggling with ankle, wrist, shoulder, and back injuries, making it difficult for him to continue fighting. On the other hand, Yafai, who won Olympic gold in 2020, was overjoyed with his victory. He stated that beating Edwards was an even greater achievement than winning the gold medal.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Yafai expressed his respect for Edwards and the impact he has had in the boxing world. He also revealed that he had been worried about what Edwards could do to him in the match. Yafai's next goal is to fight WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji in 2025. As for Edwards, he can now look back on his successful career and be proud of all that he has accomplished.
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