Commenter Adam Smith blames the WBC-Tus-Entire Flyweight Champion Galal Yafai’s 12-round unanimous decision loss to Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (40-6-1, 27 COs) Through last Saturday night “The Wrong Fight” in the BP Pulse Live Arena, in Birmingham, England.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)
Yafai’s “wrong struggle” choice
Smith did not say what kind of battle the Olympic gold medal of 2020 should have fought Yafai (9-1, 7 COs) because he tried with Rodriguez Jr. It didn’t work. The combination puns and the high production of the Mexican were too much for Yafai (32) to do.
The scores were 119-108, 119-108 and 118-109. Rodriguez jr. Dropped Yafai in the twelfth round and dropped him to the tip of a knockout. What saved Galal was the holding. In the final he didn’t try to win. He was in survival mode.
Galal kept contact to neutralize Francisco’s production, but it wasn’t enough. Rodriguez jr. Still overwhelmed him when he was free. His accuracy with its high volume was unreal.
Final punch statistics
- Francisco Rodriguez: 575 ended up out of 1089 shots for a 53% connection rate
- Galal Yafai: 230 ended up out of 795 for a 34% connection rate
What is impressive is that most bumps that Rodriguez jr. Threw, power shots were. He landed 528 of 969 strokes for a 54% connection rate. It’s no wonder Yafai was dropped in the 12th round.
Smith: Fight was “hard to watch”
“There was a point where it could stop. It was hard to look at, ‘commentator Adam Smith said Pro Boxing fans About Galal Yafai’s fight against Francisco Rodriguez jr. Last Saturday night. “He rolled back the years. He was startling,” Smith said of Rodriguez.
The fight looked like it could stop in the 11th round because Yafai beat and injured. Again, which prevented him from being knocked out was all the upholstery. Galal kept excessive and had to be warned by the referee.
“Eddie (Hearn) said: ‘Absolutely relentless performance of Rodriguez. Galal had a kind of wrong struggle and had a bad start. “He found out what it was like to box at the elite level, and he had time to rebuild at 32. So much credit for Galal Yafai, ”Adam said.
There was nothing Yafai could do to give himself the chance to win because he couldn’t match Rodriguez’s production. His blows were probably louder than Rodriguez jr’s, but there wasn’t enough.
“I didn’t think he would. I thought (coach) Rob threw in the towel or the referee, ‘says Smith. “I thought that the last few minutes were difficult to look at. It’s hard. Yafai is an excellent fighter, an Olympic gold medalist. That’s what happens. ‘
The fight could have been stopped in rounds 10, 11 or 12 because Yafai was injured in each of the rounds. Yafai’s corner left him out there.
“You walk to the elite level and do an acid test. To me it looked like a very good amateur with a very good hardened pro,” says Smith.
Last updated on 06/22/2025