Galal Yafai bruised and battered in Birmingham by Rodriguez
Plus, KO chaos in Japan and Boxxer on the brink
What a brutal week of boxing we experienced. Galal Yafai’s thumping at the fists of Francisco Rodriguez Jr on Saturday evening summed it up. Both men left the ring with blood pouring from their faces. Rodriguez needed to be ushered away from his post-fight interview as the large gash on his left eyebrow gently seeped blood.
This is the fight game. The hurt game. Brian Norman Jr produced a different display of extreme violence on Thursday in Japan when he knocked Jin Sasaki out with a left hook so brutal that the loser later complained of memory loss. It’s this combination of visuals that makes it so repulsive and yet so compelling that we cannot turn away.
1. Galal Yafai left dazed, bruised and confused by Mexican mauler
There can be no dressing it up. Galal Yafai, at 32 years old, weighing a meagre 112 pounds, had the kind of evening that can take a lot out of a fighter. Last seen breaking down a withered version of Sunny Edwards, boxing with one retreating foot out of the door, Yafai was in the ascendancy.
Here, Francisco Rodriguez Jr was the man making all the moves. There was no foot out of the door. The Mexican smashed his way headfirst through the door, leaving Yafai sitting covered in splinters.
The DAZN commentators, led by chief cheerleader of misdirection Adam Smith, tried to insinuate that, at times, it was a close fight. It never was. Not that Yafai gave a poor account of himself. He didn’t. The Olympic gold medallist stood and traded as best he could.
Smeared in blood, veins pumping with machismo, Rodriguez showed that the gate to true world-class shall remain locked. Another Mexican arriving on British shores to beat up one of Eddie Hearn’s hopes. Rodriguez had gone the distance with Ioka and Nakatani, reigning as a unified world champion. All of this showed on the night.
You can support Steve’s Boxing updates by:
❤️ Liking the post (a free shot that makes you feel good).
🗣️ Leave a comment to get things off your chest. Agree with Steve? Think he’s talking nonsense as usual? Let me know.
🥊 Subscribe! It’s all free. Get everything I write or say directly to your inbox.
☕ Buy me a coffee. If you’ve got a spare couple of shillings.
2. Conah Walker has become a feel-good boxing story
It’s always nice to see a fellow-Wolverhampton person thrive. Conah ‘The Wolf’ Walker has become a bit of a cult hero with his supportive fanbase and a style that ticks all boxes both on TV and for those buying tickets.
Calling out to Turki for some Riyadh money, win or lose, Walker gives anyone a tough night’s work. At the moment, he’s got into a winning habit. Eddie Hearn, who once brought Walker in to lose (as he freely admits), smells a story developing.
Following his come-from-behind KO of Harry Scarff by scoring a knockout of Liam Taylor, wherever Conah ends up, there will be guaranteed excitement along the way.
3. Brian Norman Jr annihilates wild Sasaki in five
In the build-up to Thursday afternoon’s clash between Brian Norman and Jin Sasaki, some questioned whether the Japanese fighter was a legitimate world title contender at all. I thought that sounded a little harsh, despite Sasaki’s clear limitations.
Turns out it wasn’t. Sasaki was every bit the overmatched opponent. Taking huge head shots from the first bell, Sasaki’s bravado, bordering at times on madness, kept him sort of in the contest as he winged away with bombs, trying to turn the tide.
A thumping left hook left him flat on his back in round five. Unifications are needed for the fast-improving Norman. Sasaki must reassess, although he has a style and mindset that may never be changed.
4. Vito Mielnicki gets a win in New Jersey
Vito Mielnicki recorded a 10-round points win over Poland’s Kamil Gardzielik on Saturday evening. ESPN picked up the broadcast, but it wasn’t the usual polished Top Rank show. Everything seems to be in winding-down mode for the promoter and broadcaster at the moment.
While it was a functional display from Mielnicki, I don’t see anything from him that would disturb the sleep of any top middleweights. Mielnicki turned pro very young and is maturing with each passing year into a competent pro. He lacks that extra spark required to get to the top. Which is fine, as not everyone can make it to the summit.
5. Sky Sports’ boxing future is up in the air
Ben Shalom and Boxxer will part ways with Sky Sports after their current deal ends. Where next for Boxxer’s star names like Ben Whittaker, Adam Azim and Chris Eubank Jr? It’ll be interesting to see exactly who their contracts are signed with - the network or the promoter?
I suspect that Boxxer will still appear on Sky in some capacity. Not as an exclusive promoter but rather as part of the new pool of promoters they plan on using. Condensing their shows down into quality over quantity won’t be a bad thing. They have made a play for showcasing female fights.
Replacing Eddie Hearn at Sky was like David Moyes replacing Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. The boxing cycle will continue. I can’t see Sky dropping boxing fully, as some have suggested. It’ll always be on there in some form or other. Ben Shalom may still be part of the programming schedule.
Image credits: BBC, Top Rank, Boxxer.
About Steve…
Current existence: Online editor at Boxing News Magazine.
Previous lives: Author (8 books), podcaster (500+ eps), scriptwriter for Motivedia channel, newspaper journalist, copywriter & educator.
Contact: stevenwellings1982@gmail.com
Great, all action battle. Rodriguez came with an undeniable engine. Nothing fancy but you can't measure a man's will, heart, and determination. He fought with purpose from round 1. Hats off to Rodriguez.
As for Yafai, he's a 32 yr old 2x Olympian and gold medalist that just beat a former world titleholder. This elimination bout was the logical next step before a world title shot. The lack of head movement is most concerning. At the highest level, you can't take 2-3 flush head shots consistently. Also, you shouldn't stand and trade if you get hurt early. He failed to adjust and seemed to want to out fight the rugged Mexican. That's either poor game planning or questionable boxing IQ.
Yafai showed immense bravery but there were moments in round 10 where I thought the ref could've waved it off. He took a lot of damage and you hope he's able to work on his mistakes and improve but, at 32, this might be his ceiling.