Boxing

Emanuel Navarrete Retains Title In Controversial Fashion vs Charly Suarez

Emanuel Navarrete retained his title via technical decision after eight rounds vs Charly Suarez.
Nathaniel Marrero|
Emanuel Navarrete
Emanuel Navarrete | Top Rank

Emanuel Navarrete’s retained his WBO junior lightweight title with a technical decision due to a cut over Charly Suarez after eight rounds. 

The result could have easily gone the other way if referee Edward Collantes ruled that Navarrete's cut was from a punch by Suarez. All three judges had it in favor of Navarrete, with Fernando Villareal and Lou Moret scoring it 77-76 and Pat Russell having it 78-75.

With the win on Saturday at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, Calif., Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) retains his WBO junior lightweight title and he's the first man to defeat Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) for the time being.

In the opening stages of the 6th round, Suarez connected with a huge left hand before his head momentarily glanced with Navarrete’s. Once the two fighters separated, Navarrete had a nasty cut over his left eye. Collantes ruled an accidental head butt caused the cut, and after the California State Athletic Commission looked at the numerous replays that were available at the time, the call was upheld. 

“From the first moment of impact, I knew it was a headbutt," Navarrete said after the fight. "It split my eyebrow completely.”

Later, a slow-mo replay by ESPN appears to show that the left hand from Suarez caused the nasty gash over Navarrete’s left eye. Collantes ruled the cut to be caused by a punch, Suarez would have won the title by 8th-round stoppage.

The ringside doctor checked Navarrete’s cut after he initially got it, at the start of the 7th round and at the beginning of the 8th round. With Navarrete’s cut still bleeding after his corner was working on it, Collantes called a halt to the bout one second into the 8th round. 

“For me, I want Navarrete again to become the best at my weight," Suarez said.

Navarrete and Suarez went back and forth from the opening bell and delivered an all-action bout. Navarrete appeared to hurt Suarez on multiple occasions, but the former Olympian remained undeterred and kept pushing the pace.

Top Rank Vice President of Boxing Operations Carl Moretti said on X that Suarez will get a rematch vs Navarrete. Fight Freaks Unite's Dan Rafael reported that Moretti said the CSAC and WBO will review the footage of Navarrete suffering the cut via a left hand from Suarez, which could mean the result of the fight could be overturned.

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero

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