Galal Yafai speaks to Josh Green of Seconds Out at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield to talk about his journey in the pro ranks under Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn, as well as a future showdown with Sunny Edwards.
Shaping Tomorrow’s Stars
Galal Yafai, the talented boxing professional, is no stranger to the hustle and bustle of the GB boxing gym in Sheffield. In a recent interview, Yafai noted the wealth of emerging talent. He spoke fondly of his time in the gym, training under the seasoned eye of Rob McCracken. “You can see a lot of talent in this gym,” he said. “Good fighters who have been here for a while, working towards the Olympics.”
How must they be feeling as they step into the ring, you might ask? “A lot of feelings really,” Galal muses, remembering his own journey to qualify for the Olympics. “But I’m sure they’ve been working hard, and hopefully what they’ve been working on comes into play in Poland.”
McCracken’s track record in shaping world champions is unquestionable. But what’s it like training under such a figure? “Rob’s a mania, a performance director,” Yafai says, hinting at the intensity of training under his leadership. Could it be this intense yet effective training that molds these athletes into champions?
Yafai, despite his professional career, chose to stay with McCracken and his team. “I’ve known him for a while now, got along with him during my time here, and we just bounce off each other,” Yafai says. “He’s got my best interests at heart, and he just looks after me.”
Sunny Edwards: A Stellar Performance
Turning to the weekend’s fights, Yafai commented on Sunny Edwards’ victory against Andres Campos. Edwards, he observes, is a unique character who stirs varying reactions. “Some people love him, some people hate him,” Yafai points out. But don’t we need characters like Edwards to keep the audience engaged in the world of boxing?
Yafai praises Edwards for his performance, stating that the latter was “a bit too much” for Campos. But can we see a face-off between Yafai and Edwards in the future? “Oh yeah, for sure, definitely,” Yafai says. “It kind of has to happen really, doesn’t it?”
Final Thoughts
Though both Yafai and Edwards have their respective career goals – Edwards aiming for undisputed titles and Yafai striving to become a world champion – a face-off between the two seems inevitable. “Hopefully, we’ll cross paths,” Yafai says.
In boxing, it isn’t just about the raw talent or the grueling training sessions. It’s also about strategic decisions and crowd engagement. And in Galal Yafai, we see an embodiment of all these elements, giving us high hopes for his future and potential clashes with boxers like Sunny Edwards.
