Via Knitting Ambrosio: Former two-division world champion Emanuel Navarrete (36-1, 30 KOs) will rise to No. 130 this Friday, February 3, to face #3 Liam Wilson for the vacant WBO super featherweight belt on ESPN. , ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at the Desert Diamond Arena, in Glendale, Arizona. The event begins at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Navarrete, 28, was looking to become a three-division world champion against little-known Australian Wilson (11-1, 7 KOs) in the main event. Oscar Valdez has shown an interest in fighting Navarrete, and it’s a fight that will be much more interesting than the one taking place this Friday.
Despite winning world titles in two weight classes, the only name on Navarette’s résumé is Isaac Dogboe.
Complete the card below:
- Jose Pedraza vs Arnold Barboza Jr.
- Andres Cortes vs Luis Melendez
- Nico Ali Walsh vs Eduardo Ayala
- Lindolfo Delgado Pavilion vs Clarence
- Xavier Martinez vs Yohan Vasquez
- Richard Torrez Jr. against James Bryant
- Emiliano Vargas vs Francisco Duque
- Yves Ulysse Jr. compared to Javier Molina
Besides him, the other notable names of Navarrete on his 11-year résumé are these boxers: Ruben Villa, Christopher Diaz and Joet Gonzalez. That’s basically it. There are only four names and none of them are super talented.
Many boxing fans believe Valdez will make a splash with Navarrete because he hasn’t beaten anyone yet, and he struggled a lot to beat Villa and Gonzalez. Those guys caused Navarrete all kinds of trouble.
It’s likely that if Shakur Stevenson retains the WBO super featherweight title, Navarrete won’t gain weight trying to claim the title. Shakur is on a different level than Navarrete and will dominate him.
It’s not clear why the World Boxing Organization ranks Wilson 3rd with their organization at 130 as he hasn’t beaten anyone notable during his five-year professional career. Wilson was defeated by Joe Noynay by knockout in the fifth round in 2021.
Although Wilson avenged the loss with a second-round TKO last April, it just seemed too bad he was stopped by an opponent of this level.
In Wilson’s final game, he overcame Matias Carlos Adrian Rueda by a unanimous decision in 10 innings last June.
Some boxing fans may remember Rueda from his match against Oscar Valdez in 2016. Valdez easily knocked Rueda out in the second half. The fact that Wilson barely beat Rueda last year says a lot about his level of talent, or his lack of it.
The bottom card is stacked, with excellent fights, with an invincible lightweight opponent Arnold Barboza Jr. against the former two-division world champion Jose ‘Sniper’ Pedraza during the main bout of support.
