2020 Olympic gold medallist Galal Yafai needed just 100 seconds to dispatch former British champion Tommy Frank as the Birmingham-born flyweight contender wasted no time in his maiden main event, producing an assertive display which will again accelerate his own path towards world title contention.
Aggressive and efficient: Yafai puts flyweights on notice
R1, 1:40 – Galal Yafai bt. Tommy Frank via TKO, Frank’s corner threw in the towel and Yafai makes third defence of WBC International flyweight title
- “No disrespect to them.. but British level doesn’t interest me. I respect the champions but I’m looking at world titles, gotta be a world champion otherwise it’s a flop for me isn’t it? I just thought, I wanted to hit and hurt him,” Yafai on his ambitions and why he boxed the way he did here
- Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn says he “saw a superstar” in 30-year-old Olympic champion, who is “levels above” domestic and European opposition right now but warned they have to be careful matching him going forward to bridge the gap before world championship contention
- Highly-regarded amateur in super-heavyweight standout Delicious Orie – who trains with Yafai in the west Midlands – and former world cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew among those singing the flyweight’s praises after scoring a fourth stoppage win in five professional bouts
Yafai raced to the ring apron, climbed up in celebration and had a nonchalant expression shrugging his shoulders as if to say well, what did you expect?
DAZN’s broadcast team waxed lyrical about him afterwards and witnessing such a swift beatdown served as a reminder that Yafai believes he’s already above this level.
Frank didn’t do enough to defend himself, nor swat the home favourite away as the Sheffield-born boxer immediately found himself pinned up against the ropes.
Yafai assertively took command with a series of left-hand punches that wobbled Frank before the first knockdown came less than 30 seconds into the contest.
He goaded his agemate, gesturing for the former British champion to return to his feet so the Olympic champion could continue where he left off.
It wouldn’t be long before referee John Latham stepped in again, this time ruling Frank had slipped to the canvas as the onslaught persisted with no respite coming.
Displaying no resistance and absorbing more punishment as Yafai furiously whipped shots to the head and body, Frank’s corner threw in the towel shortly afterwards. Latham looked likely to stop it himself, such was a one-sided unfolding before him.
During fight week, Yafai made clear he was aware of the outside noise about critics questioning his pedigree: an awesome amateur but in the pro ranks?
Unproven and getting on in age at 30-years-old, never ideal in the smaller weight divisions where a boxer’s skills are deemed to diminish quicker with time.
That assessment won’t be here for much longer if he’s able to consistently produce spiteful performances like this one as he goes up the gears in opposition.
“I think I’m ready for those world-level opportunities now, it’s just about experience… can Tommy get that out of me? He’s a good fighter, I’ve known him a while but he doesn’t have any pressure on him, he’s expected to lose.”
December 16: Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Sunny Edwards, unification for IBF and WBO world flyweight titles
Ukraine’s Artem Dalakian (WBA) and Mexico’s Julio Cesar Martinez (WBC) currently hold the division’s other world championships, and both have upcoming fights without a finalised date – Seigo Yuri Akui and McWilliams Arroyo respectively.
Rest of the main card, featuring Pattinson-Walker
There was a shock in the evening’s co-main event, after Conah Walker ended Cyrus Pattinson’s perfect 6-0 pro record to win the WBA International welterweight title – scoring three knockdowns en route to a corner retirement after the eighth.
It was, predictably, a firefight as long as it lasted with momentum shifts and drama aplenty – fans were expecting that from Pattinson after his nine-round battle with Chris Jenkins in March.
Pattinson landed the bigger, digging shots late in a predictably competitive R1 where you couldn’t help but wonder whether they’d mantain such a frantic pace.
Pattinson finished the second round stronger again, though Walker’s earlier work and punch output was too consistent to ignore in another action-packed round.
Cyrus’ willingness to stand-and-trade in the pocket, rather than stay defensively smart with head movement and angles ultimately backfired.
In the next round, he got burned for the first time and the tide turned. Dropped by a right-hand, Walker looked a few seconds – three or four power punches – away from finishing it, as Pattinson tried gathering his bearings again, appearing badly hurt.
The fourth was difficult to score because so much happened in both directions. Pattinson started making Walker miss with some much-needed movement but not enough to avoid the punch flurries as Walker had clearly grown in confidence from the knockdown. Why wouldn’t he, seeing this unbeaten prospect fold before him?
Walker was following him with purpose and energy around the ring in the fifth, keeping him pinned on the back foot and eventually scored a disputed knockdown, with Pattinson protesting he had slipped, though the referee ignored his complaints.
Another bruising round unfolded in the sixth, Pattinson winning it until the official counted another contentious knockdown – it looked like a push on first viewing – and suddenly Pattinson was in serious danger of a first career loss.
So he stepped up the gears in the seventh, hurting Walker in the final minute and charging forward.
Buoyed by his boisterous fans – some in the media seats – Conah conjured up some of his best efforts in the eighth, before Pattinson’s team pulled their charge in the corner from absorbing more damage between rounds. Not many expected that.
Although two knockdowns were debatable the deficit had proved too big to overcome by this stage, and there’s no shame in that.
Dacres leaves you wanting more
English heavyweight champion Solomon Dacres flattered to deceive at times but ultimately eased to a wide points decision win (99-91, 99-91, 98-92) over Chris Thompson over ten rounds – before calling out compatriots who rejected fight offers.
The 29-year-old, who won the domestic strap last time out with a R2 TKO win over Robert Ismay in mid-March, took his time in spots but also whizzed with bad intentions during other moments on his second outing of 2023.
He crucially struggled using his jab often enough to set up powerful combos and this allowed Thompson to counterpunch at distance in what was a plodding tempo.
That was evidenced in the third round, after connecting on a good right-hand but immediately ruining it by muddying up his work up close – promising moments he couldn’t capitalise on.
Judging by his reactions between rounds in the corner, Thompson looked to be struggling after the fourth and fifth, though Dacres wasn’t taking advantage of that with forward pressure and instead telegraphed his entries at distance.
The gamely South African was cut by an accidental head clash in the sixth, Dacres having fleeting success but not enough to warrant any suggestion he’d get the stoppage he had threatened late in the first.
Truthfully, it looked as though he was overthinking it in rounds seven and eight. Caught in two minds over whether he should unload or try to box clear, Thompson did a good job nullifying his punch power, keeping things sloppy with clinch work.
Dacres buzzed him with a good one-two in the ninth, but Thompson continued to grapple and survive what was becoming an exhausting fight to watch.
The onus is on Dacres to deal with the survival tactics, create separation and chain together attacks with variety. Instead, he was pedestrian and didn’t do what he promised during fight week: picking Thompson apart, making a statement.
Improving to 7-0, he’s said to fancy his chance against any of the British-level heavyweights led by reigning titlist Fabio Wardley right now. On the basis of this display, he’s got to be much sharper if he wants to beat any of them.
Flynn burned by late point deduction
A point deduction in the final round proved decisive for Jordan Flynn, as his English super-featherweight title eliminator against Kane Baker was ruled a 94-94 draw.
Flynn began better, outworking a hesitant Baker in R1 before scoring a second-round knockdown after landing an overhand right the home fighter didn’t see coming.
You could see the speed difference between them too.
Two steps faster to react, throw and move, Flynn’s confidence swelled as he started to express himself as a dominant fighter would around the ring. Although this was happening, Baker responded with a tenacious fourth round where he closed the distance and made it messy by being rough with his punch output in the pocket.
Flynn replied with a better fifth, typified by a sequence in the final seconds where he unloaded a series of punishing combos and pinned Baker up against the ropes, though he was gamely firing back enough to maintain that sense of jeopardy.
Baker either sensed some tiredness or had a second wind in the sixth, landing a big right-hand flush on Flynn’s chin in the final minute of another busy round as his grinding physicality in the pocket had made this more of a competitive clash.
His hurried intensity continued in the seventh, landing more power punches to visibly push Flynn backwards.
His team in the corner made a scene to the referee whenever they were clinching, they wanted their man to stay on track and it served to indirectly fire up Flynn too: he got back to basics with the jab in the eighth, though at a slower tempo.
Baker began the ninth better, but found himself overwhelmed by output against the ropes and in a close round, the more impactful work was coming from Flynn’s hands.
Would the sole judge Chris Dean be swayed by a rowdy crowd? His round-by-round scorecard wasn’t disclosed but we soon got an answer, after Flynn was docked a point for persistent holding during a back-and-forth finale and it went the distance.
Work in progress: Majid’s Matchroom debut
Khaleel Majid scored a first-round knockdown en route to a 78-73 decision win against Alessandro Fersula in an eight-rounder on his Matchroom debut.
The highly-rated prospect, campaigning at light-welterweight, attacked the body well and was unafraid to get up close during the first few rounds.
There was an ever-growing sense that he wouldn’t secure the finish he craved though, as the 26-year-old’s shot selection was becoming increasingly predictable.
Couple that with being hit more himself, Fersula wasn’t exactly discouraged from standing in the pocket and trading upon occasion with a 10-0 pro who had seemingly already emptied his best work.
He had lost the sting in his punches by R5 and the Italian was emboldened to land a few big counters of his own, as you heard fans inside the Utilita Arena getting restless.
Fersula’s output increased as Majid’s punch variety had disappeared and besides a 30-second sequence in the final round, it was a frustrating end to a decent-but-unspectacular debut appearance under one of the world’s biggest promoters.
The Bolton-born boxer’s shown enough in previous fights at the regional level to suggest he’s got more gears to go through, but if he’s to be successful against better opposition, he must be defensively sharper and set up attacks more effectively.
His manager Sam Jones echoed that sentiment, saying he rushed things a little after recovering from injury and will improve as the challenges do before confirming he’ll return on Jack Catterall vs. Jorge Linares in Liverpool on October 21.
Prelim results
In the super-bantamweight division, Muhammad Ali scored a third-round stoppage against Francisco Rodriguez. At bantamweight, Sahil Khan earned a 40-36 win on his debut against Sean Jackson. Speaking of maiden appearances in the paid ranks…
Ibraheem Sulaiman had a professional debut to remember at lightweight, starting fast and landing a series of power punches in bunches en route to a first-round stoppage win over Michel Gonxhe as the 22-year-old swarmed him at close-range.
The 31-year-old vehemently disputed the referee’s decision to wave off the contest, but wasn’t defending himself up against the ropes and the visual was unsettling.
Having gone the distance over six rounds against unbeaten prospect Campbell Hatton five months ago, this was the Italian’s first outing back in the UK since and he’ll be eager to quickly forget this one.
There might’ve been a bit of controversy around the manner of said stoppage, but middleweight Aaron Bowen got it nonetheless in round two – a bruising body shot did the trick against Wilmer Baron, with instant replay disproving foul play.
That was the bone of contention, Bowen landing punches on a downed opponent as Baron doubled over in pain. Although he did throw, none of them connected.
All pictures shown in this piece, captured by me unless stated — same with quotes
Mo and Sports 