Galal Yafai reveals beatdowns he took from his older champion brothers knocked him into the fighter he is today
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GALAL YAFAI reveals the beatdowns he took from his champion older brothers knocked him into the fighter he is today.
Yafai grew up as the youngest boxer in the household and admits it was constant civil war at home between older siblings Gamal and Kal.
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Gamal Yafai with brothers Galal and Kal
Credit: Getty
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Kal was former WBA champion
Credit: Jamie McPhilimey - The Sun
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Gamal was European champion
Credit: matchroom boxing
He told SunSport: "My mum would come in screaming and shouting, we'd always end up fighting but I knew my place when you're like ten years old or nine years old.
"Two-three years is a big difference. When they were 13-14 years old and I'm only just 10, it's a big jump. So yeah, I knew my position. I used to get beaten up on a little bit!"
Despite taking his fair share of brotherly blows, Yafai admits the real wars came between Kal and Gamal.
He said: "They were closer in age and I think they felt sorry for me a little bit because I was a little bit smaller than them.
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"They had the real big fights and my mum used to come out shouting and it was kind of like hillbilly style. It kind of helped us to get where we got to.
"Kal was always better than me, Gamal was always bigger and better so I don't think I ever got the better of everyone really.
"I could hold my own, well I could hold my own when I got a bit older, but I think they took it easy on me.
"But they always helped me anyway, it helped in my career."
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Yafai trained as a teenager and watched his older brothers become amateur champions - later replicating that success in the professional ranks.
The youngest of the pack only began boxing again at 18 but by 2021 he was Olympic champion after packing in his job working in a Land Rover factory.
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Now he is undefeated and 9-0 as a pro - meanwhile ex-world champ Kal, 36, is retired and Gamal, 33, now coaches the younger generation.
But Yafai - who returns on Saturday against Francisco Rodriguez Jr in a bid to earn a shot at WBC and WBO champ Kenshiro Teraji - doubts brother Gamal will be part of his corner team - preferring he remains just a fan for now.
He said: "My coach Rob McCracken sorts all that out and I just like my brothers being there. They help me just being there and showing me support and having my back.
"My brother Kal's been in my corner before as like a second in America. But as long as Rob's in my corner and my brothers are there supporting me, yeah, I'm happy."
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