The California State Athletic Commission has officially overturned Emanuel Navarrete’s technical decision victory over Charly Suarez to a no contest, prompting the WBO to order an immediate rematch.
Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KO) jumped out to an early lead but, perhaps as a byproduct of what looked to be a horrid weight cut, quickly lost steam. Suarez (18-0, 10 KO), a standout amateur who’d long struggled to land a marquee fight, was coming on strong before a cut halted proceedings at the start of the eighth. The referee ruled it an accidental headbutt, but subsequent replays appeared to show a punch, prompting Suarez’s appeal.
Per Lance Pugmire, who was present at the meeting, Top Rank vowed to stage the rematch in a “timely manner” but will be delayed by Navarrete’s medical suspension, which ends on July 9th.
As Wil Esco pointed out in that recap post, that may have been Suarez’s golden opportunity, as there’s no telling whether that scare will prompt Navarrete to properly prepare for the rematch. That said, this is far from the first time “Vaquero” has phoned it in; the weight he gained to fight Denys Berinchyk for the lightweight title was not, shall we say, functional. It wouldn’t be wise to count Suarez out.
