Galal Yafai Lost to Rodriguez Because of His Own Performance
Matchroom Boxing’s Chairman, Eddie Hearn, shouldn’t take any heat for Galal Yafai’s loss to Francisco Rodriguez Jr. on June 21. The blame rests squarely on Yafai’s shoulders for fighting the wrong fight.
Yafai entered the ring and completely forgot that he was the better boxer. After getting rocked in the first round, the Olympic gold medalist fought Rodriguez’s fight. This is a case where you can’t blame Hearn for making a bad matchup.
Yafai was on pace to face unified champion Kenshiro Teraji, so facing #1 WBC-rated fighter (Rodriguez) is the normal process. By all accounts, the British fighter had the advantage in speed, footwork, defense, and overall boxing ability. Yet, when the bell sounded, he fought like a deer in headlights and did nothing to nullify the Mexican’s pressure.
Now, can he come back from taking such a beating? In this author’s opinion, Yafai’s corner probably should have stopped the fight. It will be interesting to see how Team Yafai proceeds, for the journey back can be tough.
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