GALAL Yafai can take one final leap towards joining British boxing nobility when he fights in an eliminator for a world flyweight title this weekend at home in Birmingham.

The Midlands southpaw, who faces Mexico’s Francisco Rodriguez Jr over 12 rounds at Resorts World Arena, has a new dream: to follow Olympic gold with a world title.

Only two British men in history have managed boxing’s ultimate one-two.

James Degale was first. After winning gold in Beijing in 2008 he won one of the four super-middleweight championship belts a couple of years later.

Anthong Joshua doubled up, unifying the world heavyweight crown after he shot to fame winning super-heavy gold at London in 2012.

Now Yafai is one more win away from being able to join Team GB’s most elite of clubs.

CHIHUAS TEST

However, Rodriguez Jr is himself a former world champion and already a multiple-weight world title contender.

Despite being the same age as Yafai, 32, the Mexican turned pro back in 2010 and has built up a highly credible 38-6-1 pro record.

‘Chihua’ has contested four world title fights at three different weights, boxed in a dozen 12-rounders and claimed 26 knockout victories in the process.

He’s shared a ring with a couple of the best smaller weight champions of this generation – and he’s also not afraid to travel for big fights.

By comparison, Yafai has had just nine pro fights after the Tokyo Games was delayed until 2021.

All but one of the first eight were scheduled for 10 rounds though, and he’s only being to the judge’s scorecards twice.

Plus, last year’s sixth round TKO of former world champion and amateur rival Sunny Edwards, sending the latter into retirement, was the perfect way to kick off his championship level campaign.

GOLDEN BOY

Yafai is a fast, slick southpaw who wastes very little. His accuracy is overwhelming and his power cannot be denied.

Only one other man managed to beat up Edwards in a similar manner to Galal, and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is the best super-flyweight on the planet.

Rodriguez has a great chin, having only been stopped once in his career against the great ‘Chocolatito’ Roman Gonzalez in his home in Nicaragua. But that was way back in 2013.

The fact the Mexican went the full 10 rounds with current pound-for-pound star Junto Nakatani in Tokyo in his last defeat in 2022 proves his chin is legitimate.

Rodriguez is a typical Latino fighter, relying on his chin to close the distance, then plants his feet and drives in hook-heavy combinations from head to body.

For all of his exploits overseas, however, it’s worth noting that whilst he is often losing to some of the best in the division, his record is poor. He doesn’t travel well.

He’s not won a fight in five previous attempts outside of Mexico.

Even a points victory over Josue Morales in Texas in December – his most recent fight – was overturned to a No Decision earlier this month for, bizarrely, no apparent reason.

Yafai has worked too hard and is too talented to perform recklessly now and, whilst he may have to go the full 12, he should be comfortably ahead on the scorecards by the closing bell.

TIP: Yafai on Points – 10/13

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