Eduardo Núñez Is Ready to Take Full Advantage of Emanuel Navarrete Fight

It was the bullying, Eduardo “Sugar” Núñez says, when asked what pushed him into boxing. It used to get bad, he remembers, thinking back to his days growing up in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Sometimes terrifying. When Núñez was 13 he overheard a few kids talking about having a knife while he was in the bathroom. When he stepped out of a stall, the group advanced on him with it, poking him in the chest and slashing his shirt. When he escaped, one thought raced through his head: This has to stop.

Núñez can smile at the memory now. Bullied? Today he is a bully, at least in a boxing ring. Núñez, 28, is one of the most physical fighters in any weight class, a 130-pound world champion with a 93% knockout ratio. On Saturday, Núñez (29–1) will attempt to add one more when he takes on Mexican countryman Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1) in a title unification clash.

“It’s been a great road,” Núñez told Sports Illustrated through a Zoom call last week. “And I’m happy to still be on it.”

Fifteen years ago, when he walked into his first boxing gym, he didn’t know where that road was going to take him. That gym, owned by the Montiel family, was filled with local legends, including Fernando Montiel, a former three-division world champion. “I didn’t know anything,” says Núñez. “I just knew I needed to learn how to defend myself.”

He loved it. Became addicted to it. His first sparring session was ugly. Facing a more experienced fighter, Núñez got busted up. But he refused to stop. “It was that feeling of adrenaline,” he says. As his nose bled, he held it high to keep the blood from pouring into his mouth. “I just wanted to keep going,” says Núñez. “I didn’t want anyone to come in and say that was enough.”

Power came naturally. Núñez committed early to a strength and conditioning program that added muscle to his 5' 6" frame. He would study how Montiel put his punches together. Early on, when the two would spar, Montiel would go easy on him. “He would never try to hurt me,” says Núñez. Montiel noted the power in Núñez’s right hand, he says. And he would encourage him to develop similar pop with his left. Being durable, Núñez was willing—even eager—to exchange.

“I feel I can withstand a lot of shots,” says Núñez. “I would say I’ve never been in there with an opponent where I felt that I’ve been truly hurt. I think that then gives me the confidence to go in there and be freer when I’m landing those power punches.”

Núñez’s amateur career wasn’t extensive. Five fights, he recalls. At 17, he made the decision to turn pro. Success came quickly. Ten straight wins to start his career. All 10 by knockout. In 2018, he traveled to Cancún to face Hiram Gallardo. There was nothing special about it. Six-round fight against what seemed like a non-threatening opponent. The fight went the distance. When the decision was announced, Nunez lost by a point on all three of the judges’ scorecards.

The result was shocking. “I thought I won the fight,” says Núñez. “The commentators thought I won the fight. The fans thought I won the fight.” It was also educational. From then on, Núñez vowed to do whatever it took not to leave a result in the hands of the judges. “I think it was ultimately a good experience for me,” says Núñez. “It was part of forming me as a fighter, part of my learning experience as a fighter. I really made a promise to myself that in the future, I wouldn’t give the judges any extra work to do in any of my fights.”

The winning continued. He won his next 17 fights, all by knockout. In 2023 he signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing, which was looking to expand its growing stable into Mexico. In ’25, he faced Masanori Rikiishi for a vacant 130-pound title. Rikiishi pushed him the full 12 rounds. This time, Núñez walked away with a decision. Last September he went all 12 in a title defense against Christopher Diaz, again scoring a wide decision.

“I really enjoyed those last two fights,” says Núñez. “I feel like before I was a little bit worried about getting the knockout. Later on in my career I was a bit worried about my conditioning. To be able to go 12 rounds with those two opponents makes me happy and makes me confident in my conditioning. And now I understand that if the knockout comes, then great, but if it doesn’t, then I know I can win a fight over 12 rounds.”

On Saturday, he may need to know how to do both. Never meet your heroes, the saying goes, though there’s nothing about not fighting them. Núñez stops short of calling Navarrete a hero—just seven years separate the two titleholders—but acknowledges it will be surreal to see his Mexican countryman standing in the other corner when the two meet in a 130-pound unification fight.

“I’ve always been a fan of Navarrete,” says Núñez. “I’ve been a fan ever since 2018, when he fought for his first world title. I never missed his fights. I believe he’s a real example for Mexico, a Mexican idol. And he’s a true champion as well.”

That respect will be gone on Saturday, at least for as long as the fight lasts. At 35, Navarrete is looking to extend his reign atop the super featherweight division. Núñez is aiming to begin his. A unified championship sets both fighters up for more lucrative showdowns. O’Shaquie Foster, who holds another piece of the 130-pound crown, is expected to be ringside for the fight.

And it figures to be bloody. Last fall, Núñez and Navarrete faced off in a photo-op after Núñez’s win over Diaz. When it was over, Núñez pulled Navarrete close. “I told him that I never imagined being his opponent one day,” says Núñez. “But God does these things for a reason. And I feel like I’m ready to take full advantage of it.”

More Boxing on Sports Illustrated