At the Barclaycard Arena last night, Britain?s Kal Yafai made the first defence of the WBA super-flyweight crown he?d won in December.
Yafai was matched against the Japanese fighter, Suguru Muranaka, in what was to turn out into a more than decent fight.
In front of his home crowd, Yafai made a good start, taking control of the ring and dropping Muranaka to the canvas in the second round, although it did look as if the Japanese fighter had slipped before the punch connected.
Full of confidence, it looked as if Yafai was going to get an early stoppage but Muranaka was made of stern stuff and refused to give in forcing his way back into the fight catching Yafai with several punches.
As the fight wore on both boxers were trading punches but Yafai?s work was often cleaner and sharper, although the Birmingham fighter was docked a point after a series of low blows.
After the bell sounded for the end of the fight, the score-cards were read out as thus:
? 118 ? 108
? 119 ? 107
? 119 ? 107
all in favour of Yafai.
Following the fight, Yafai spoke about how he?d damaged his hands after the second-round remarking,
‘I had to box my way through. My hands were in a bad way after two rounds but I did what I had to to win.
‘I’m a work in progress, I have to learn how to slow the pace down a bit.’
The win takes Yafai?s record to twenty-two fights unbeaten as and for his future, Eddie Hearn remarked after the fight,
‘One more defence and he has to chase the big unification fights.?
Good times ahead for this exciting fighter.
Yafai Defends World Title Successfully
