Eddie Hearn Fights For Galal Yafai To Bypass Francisco Rodriguez Jr. Rematch, Seeks Kenshiro Teraji Title Bout After Doping Scandal

Eddie Hearn wants the WBC to allow Galal Yafai to skip the WBC-ordered rematch with Francisco Rodriguez Jr. and be named the mandatory challenger to flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraji.

Rodriguez Jr. Doping History

Hearn discovered that Rodriguez Jr. (40-6-1, 27 KOs) had tested positive not only for his fight against Yafail (9-1, 7 KOs) on June 21st, but also in his previous bout against Josue Jesus Morales on December 15th last year. That fight was ruled a no-contest.

Rodriguez Jr. battered Hearn’s fighter, Yafai, dropping him in the 12th round to dethrone him of his WBC interim flyweight title last June in Birmingham, England. It was a one-sided fight, with Francisco Jr. winning by scores of 119-108, 119-108, and 118-109.

Hearn is reluctant for Yafai to fight Rodriguez again. It’s understandable. With him testing positive for two consecutive fights, he’s wary of Yafai fighting him again. It was such a one-sided fight that it’s difficult to attribute Rodriguez’s domination to PEDS. He has always been a high-volume combination puncher. That style is kryptonite for Yafai’s approach to fighting. He’s a guy who loads up on single shots, trying to knock out his opponents.

“How do we get in a situation where, within two weeks of the news breaking about the test. I don’t know if he’s had his B-sample tested,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about Francisco Rodriguez Jr. “He’s gone through a process and decided it was an accident and he was unlucky.

“The fight is a no-contest. The title is vacant, but he gets to do it again. I found out last night that Francisco Rodriguez Jr. also failed a drug test in his fight before Galal Yafai [against Josue Jesus Morales last December]. I noticed it was a no-contest in Texas. We reached out to the Texas Commission to confirm that he failed a drug test.”

It doesn’t matter that Rodriguez Jr. failed a drug test in his previous fight against Morales. The clash against Yafai was still sanctioned. So, Hearn needs to decide if he wants to let Yafai go through with the rematch with Rodriguez or not. If he chooses not to, he’ll have to go in a different direction toward a world title.

“I want a full report on what happened in that process because we had VADA testing in place for that fight [Rodriguez vs. Yarfai],” said Hearn. “If I would have known that Francisco Rodriguez failed a drug test on that night, we would have had even more extensive testing. I also would have said to the WBC, ‘Are you sure this guy is eligible for the eliminator.

“‘So, you’re telling me, Francisco Rodriguez has failed a drug test in his last two fights. On fight night, he had drugs in his system. Now, you want to order the rematch. Galal Yafai has been put in a situation where he has fought a man with performance-enhancing drugs in his system over 12 rounds. Physically, he took a beating that night.”

Yafai did take a beating that night. His trainer should have stopped the fight by the sixth round, because it was clear by that point that Rodriguez was too good for him. There was no point in allowing Galal to stay out there and soak up all that punishment against a superior fighter.

Hearn Demands Yafai Mandatory

“‘If this guy has failed tests, not just one, whatever you do, do not order this rematch,” said Hearn. “Do what is right, which is make Galal Yafai the mandatory challenger for the [WBC flyweight] world title. Let Rodriguez go through his process. He deserves the opportunity to see if he’s innocent or not. But don’t tell me that within two weeks, you’ve had the hearing, you had the B-sample, you’ve gone through all the paperwork and science, and you’ve just gone, ‘Oh, he was unlucky. He didn’t know anything about it.’”

Hearn is wasting his time, hoping that the WBC will allow him to skip the rematch with Rodriguez and become the mandatory challenger for the 112-lb title. If Eddie isn’t comfortable with Yafai fighting Francisco Jr. again, he should tell him not to do it.

“What about the last one? This is a disgrace that Galal Yafai has to rematch this guy. It’s time for Galal Yafai to be given an opportunity after what he’s been through. It’ll be up to Yafai,” said Hearn when asked if he’ll go ahead with the rematch.