On May 10 (Japan time May 11), the main event of a Top Rank card was held at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California — the WBO World Super Featherweight Title Match. Reigning champion Emanuel Navarrete (Mexico, 39 wins [32 KOs], 2 losses, 1 draw) faced his mandatory challenger, WBO No.1 ranked Charly Suarez (Philippines, 18 wins [10 KOs], undefeated), and won via technical decision at 1 second of Round 8 due to an injury stoppage.
Navarrete, a three-division world champion, was making his fourth title defense. He struggled severely with the weight cut, needing the full two-hour grace period to make the limit. For 36-year-old Suarez, this was his first world title opportunity. In Round 1, Suarez started aggressively, pushing forward. Navarrete responded quickly, turning it into a brawl. A sharp one-two straight from Navarrete visibly shook Suarez’s knees.
In Round 2, Suarez came out firing with a left hook and right straight. Navarrete immediately returned fire with his own one-two and a left hook. Both fighters threw numerous punches, engaging in heated exchanges. Round 3 continued as a slugfest, with Suarez launching combinations starting with a left hook, while Navarrete countered with a right straight and a left uppercut.
In Round 4, Navarrete pushed forward, swinging left and right hooks to both head and body. Suarez answered with body shots, and both men exchanged hooks in close range. In Round 5, Suarez began switching stances, while Navarrete threw forceful combinations with his whole body, though his accuracy was inconsistent. Suarez landed a clean left hook from the inside
In Round 6, an accidental head clash at the start of the round caused a cut above Navarrete’s left eye. After the fight resumed, both fighters began wildly trading punches—throwing right hands followed by lefts in an all-out brawl. Suarez landed a clean right straight. Though clearly bothered by the bleeding, Navarrete pressed on and managed to halt Suarez’s movement with a left to the body late in the round.
In Round 7, Suarez landed a right straight and a left hook. Navarrete, unfazed by form, swung wildly with big punches, though with little accuracy. At the beginning of Round 8, the ringside doctor was called in for a check. Referee Edward Collantes (USA), acting on the doctor’s advice, stopped the fight. The result was determined by technical decision due to the injury.
After a lengthy scoring review, the official scorecards were announced: Pat Russell (USA) had it 78–75, Lou Moret (USA) and Fernando Villarreal (USA) both scored it 77–76 — all in favor of Navarrete. Despite signs of being affected by the difficult weight cut, Navarrete narrowly succeeded in making his fourth title defense.
Navarrete struggled with the weight cut — if it hadn’t ended in a technical decision, who knows what might have happened.
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