PERENNIAL WBO world champion Emanuel Navarrete seems to have maxed out at super-featherweight and now seeks to prove that he is the top dog in the division as he faces mandatory challenger, Charly Suarez.
Navarrete, 39-2-1 (32 KOs), has won the WBO world title in three weight-classes but fell short in his quest for lightweight gold against Denys Berinchyk last year, before moving back down to 130lbs and knocking out Oscar Valdez upon his return.
Wild and wonderful, ‘Vaquero’ now continues the comeback trail. Fans will hope that a victory in Saturday’s main event leads to the Mexican finally attempting a title unification in what looks set to be his weight class for the foreseeable future.
The man bidding to spoil those plans is lesser-known Filipino, Charley Suarez, 18-0 (10 KOs), an undefeated 36-year-old who represented the Philippines at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but lost to Joe Cordina in the preliminary round.
Suarez made his pro debut aged 30 and soon caught up to his super-featherweight rivals through increased activity, fighting 13 times in his home country within 34 months.
‘King’s Warrior’ would then travel to Vietnam and knock out Indonesia’s Defry Palalu inside two rounds to claim the IBF Asia title, before colliding with undefeated Australian Paul Fleming and scoring a 12th-round stoppage whilst behind on the scorecards on away soil.
That triumph saw Suarez sign with Top Rank and fight three times under Bob Arum’s promotion in the United States. The latest of these was the third-round demolition of Jorge Castaneda, which demonstrated the power Suarez possessed in both hands.
Victory over Castaneda earned Suarez his position as the WBO mandatory challenger. The veteran’s knack of producing a knockout win in his most important contests to date makes him a dangerous opponent for the unorthodox Navarrete, who is sure to provide him with opportunities to land a show-stopping shot.
Navarrete is also signed with Top Rank, and so too is WBC super-featherweight world champion O’Shaquie Foster, who will hope that an in-house unification against the victor can take place by the end of the year.
However, Navarrete can ill-afford to look beyond Suarez and must keep his eyes on the prize if he is to set up a maiden unification bout of his career. Suarez is capable of capitalising on any under-par performance.
Emanuel Navarrete vs. Charly Suarez Fight Prediction
While you have to respect Suarez’s efforts to rise into world title contention and the momentum he has gained, the level of opposition he has overcome makes him difficult to back. Nevertheless, it’s worth watching Suarez’s left hook, which could prove devastating if Navarrete cannot avoid it.
Navarrete has been rocked in the past and could be again here, but BN Online expects the gritty, unrelenting champion to get the job done and stop Charly Suarez in what could turn out to be a real firefight.
