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A Closer Look At Kal Yafai

kal-yafai-jason-cunningham-boxing_3365332By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

In the UK we are used to boxing families like the Eubanks, the Benns and the Smith’ but there is another boxing dynasty that has made their name at world level and is looking on the 13th May to defend that world title in their home town of Birmingham – the Yafais. The brother who is putting his name and his title on the line is none other than Khalid or Kal Yafai, 21-0, 14 KO’s who got his hands on a world title belt late last year with a massive performance, but one we in the UK are used to seeing.

His professional record stands as an unbeaten testimony to his skill and fortitude but he was also an Olympian – having boxed for Britain at Beijing in 2008, became the World Cadet Champion at under 17s level at junior flyweight as well as one of the youngest ever British amateur champions at the same tender age and a silver medallist in the European Championships in 2010.

There was heartache for him when he was unable to make the 2012 London Olympic squad due to losing to Andrew Selby in the GB amateur boxing championships in Baku. There was a fight off over three bouts between them and Yafai was unable to make the second fight thus Selby went on to the 2012 Olympics.

Yafai then, almost immediately, turned professional and in July of 2012, whilst Kell Brook was beating Carson Jones, Yafai made his debut against the wily veteran of the ring, Delroy Spencer. Spencer refused to come out after the 2nd round and Yafai had therefore announced himself as a worthy future contender; though by then in his 40’s Spencer was still considered a guy who heard final bells – beware the elder statesmen…

By 2014 the Birmingham lad was ready to be put in against better opposition with a belt on the line and the first belt that got wrapped round his waist was the Commonwealth super flyweight title in May of that year. Yaqub Kareem was stopped in the 3rd round. Next up was Herald Molina who was dispatched in round 2 for the IBF intercontinental belt; Yafai then defended the belt in Dublin, Ireland to record his 13th straight professional win.

There followed some dancing round lesser opponents as Yafai seemed to tread water before a British title shot came his way on October the 17th 2015. Live on Sky Sports, Yafai was a unanimous winner.

Rather than spend time defending the British title he then decided to take the WBA route to world glory with the intercontinental WBA belt won against Dixon Flores – the winner was to take on champion Kohei Kono as a reward. It took Yafai less than 2 minutes to take the title and confirm his title chance.
Before he was to get that opportunity, he fought twice more. On the undercard of Anthony Joshua/Dominic Breazeale, Yafai showed Anthony how to do it as he won in under 2 minutes against Jozsef Ajtai! He then was added to the Sam Eggington/Frankie Gavin undercard as his brother Gamal, had to pull out of a scheduled fight with Johnson Tellez. Kal defended the honor of his family as many of their friends had bought tickets and beat Tellez by stopping him in the 3rd round.

All in all, this was an explosive puncher who was tearing up his weight division. His opportunity for world glory was now around the corner.

The WBA title was not to be against Kono but Luis Concepcion, 35-5, 24 KO’s, in Manchester on December the 10th 2016.

Concepcion was, disappointingly, to lose the title on the scales as he could not make weight. Yafai boxed him nonetheless so he could take the title cleanly and totally dominated him. It was not a stoppage but it was a clear signal that Kal Yafai was a figure in his division to be respected and to be feared but more than that, his legacy was assured as he had shown just how good he was as he convincingly beat a 2-weight former world champion. Importantly for a city that can boast Black Sabbath and Judas Priest as world beaters, they now had their first boxing world champion in over 100 years.

On the 13th May, Yafai shall defend that new-found title for the first time, at home, in Birmingham. His opponent, Suguru Muranaka, 25-2-1, 8 KO’s, has never fought outside of Japan, not been beaten since 2006 and never gone 12 rounds; it’s a tough test. It is a test that Kal needs to come through as he wants to take on the bigger fights in preparation for an opportunity to find the best fighters to unify the division. That would include a future clash with the likes of WBC champion Roman Gonzalez, 46-0, 38 KO’s, and WBO champion Naoya Inoue, 12-0, 10 KO’s.
Because it is Birmingham we have a few other Birmingham fighters on the undercard including brother Gamal and the returns of Sam Eggington, 20-3, 12 KO’s, who beat Pauli Malignaggi and Frankie Gavin, 23-3, 14 KO’s, the underachieving former Olympian that never boxed at the Olympics.

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