Article Summary
Emanuel Navarrete, the WBO junior lightweight champion, will defend his title against Charly Suarez on May 10th at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Navarrete is bringing momentum into the fight after snapping a two-fight losing streak with a sixth-round knockout of Oscar Valdez in a rematch. Suarez, a 2016 Olympian, has had a tough time securing big fights and is making a big jump for this title opportunity. The co-main event features Raymond Muratalla against Zaur Abdullaev in a lightweight showdown.
What This Means for You
- Expect a tough fight from Suarez, but Navarrete’s experience and success in high-stakes fights give him an edge.
- Look out for Muratalla, who is undefeated with 17 knockouts and coming off a big win over former champion Tevin Farmer.
- Keep an eye on Suarez’s technical skills, which could pose a challenge for Navarrete if the fight goes the distance.
- Be prepared for a potential changing of the guard in the lightweight division, as Muratalla and Abdullaev both have the potential to make a big impact.
Original Post
Emanuel Navarrete will look to add to his already impressive resume on Saturday when he puts the WBO junior lightweight title on the line against Charly Suarez, and he’s bringing some significant momentum into the fight.
Navarrete had a 33-fight winning streak — during which he won world titles at junior featherweight, featherweight and junior lightweight — snapped in November 2023 when he fought to a majority draw with Robson Conceicao. While the draw meant he had retained his title, Navarrete still attempted a jump to lightweight in pursuit of a title in the fourth weight class in his career, but came up short against Denys Berinchyk in their WBO title fight.
That two-fight stretch had many wondering if time had begun to catch up with Navarrete after more than 40 trips to the ring. Navarrete silenced those concerns in a big way in his most recent fight, when he returned to junior lightweight to defend his title and scored a sixth-round knockout of Oscar Valdez in a rematch of their August 2023 fight.
At a recent press conference Navarrete claimed the version of himself fans saw in the Valdez rematch is what happens when he is fighting at full force.
“My performance against Oscar Valdez was my way of showing that I’m now at 100 percent,” Navarrete said. “There’s no doubt about that now.”
For Suarez, it’s been a long climb to a world title opportunity. A 2016 Olympian, Suarez turned professional in 2019 at the age of 31.
Despite being undefeated at 18-0, big fights have not materialized for Suarez. Suarez had planned fights with Henry Lebron and Andres Cortes fall through in 2024. Those fights would have been good measuring sticks for where Suarez sits in the division, with the Cortes fight a planned title eliminator.
The other featured fight on Saturday night sees a lightweight showdown between Raymond Muratalla and Zaur Abdullaev. Muratalla, 28, is a perfect 22-0 with
17 knockouts on his resume to date. He’s coming off a busy 2024 where he picked up three wins, including his biggest victory to date over former champion Tevin Farmer.
With that eliminator not coming to fruition, Suarez has simply been given the title shot in by far the biggest test of his career.
Navarrete vs. Suarez fight card, odds
- Emanuel Navarrete (c) -435 vs. Charly Suarez +295, WBO junior lightweight title
- Raymond Muratalla -770 vs. Zaur Abdullaev +480, lightweights
- Andres Cortes -4000 vs. Salvador Jimenez +1300, junior lightweights
Where to watch Navarrete vs. Suarez
- Date: May 10 | Location: Pechanga Arena — San Diego
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Prediction
It is hard to know what to expect when a fighter makes as big of a jump as Suarez is making for this fight. He is the older man at 36 to Navarrete’s 30, but Navarrete has far more ring miles on his body.
But that experience also means that Navarrete has been tested and knows what it’s like to fight under bright lights in world title fights. Suarez’s technical skills are solid but it’s simply too big of an ask to pick him winning this fight without having proved himself in more high-stakes fights with more talented fighters, even if that’s not a product of his own doing. Pick:
Emanuel Navarrete via TKO9
Key Terms
- Emanuel Navarrete
- Charly Suarez
- Raymond Muratalla
- Zaur Abdullaev
- WBO junior lightweight title
- lightweights
- boxing
- title fight
- May 10
- Pechanga Arena
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