Controversial Split Decision as Navarrete Retains WBO Junior Lightweight Title
SAN DIEGO (May 10, 2025) – A night of high stakes and unforeseen drama concluded at Pechanga Arena San Diego, where WBO junior lightweight champion 'El Vaquero' Emanuel Navarrete successfully defended his title against the resilient Charly Suarez, albeit under controversial circumstances.
The main event saw the Mexican champion launch a furious offensive from the opening bell. Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs), seeking to deliver a victory for his fans, unleashed a barrage of wild rights and leaping left hooks that initially bloodied the nose of Filipino contender Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs), a decorated 2016 Olympian. While Suarez found pockets of success landing blows, they often glanced off Navarrete's gloves or helmet-like defense.
The fight took a dramatic turn in the sixth round when a cut began to appear above Navarrete's left eye. Reports confirmed the injury resulted from an accidental headbutt during a clash of fists in the preceding exchanges. Despite the blood trickling, the action continued into the seventh round. The intensity only increased as the Mexican champion pressed forward, leading to a significant amount of bleeding. Concerned by the severity of the cut, ringside physician Dr. Edmond Duplantis intervened immediately after the start of the eighth round, forcing the referee, Edward Collantes, to halt the contest.
The judges, reviewing the circumstances, awarded Navarrete the victory via technical decision (77-76, 78-75). The stoppage saw the fight paused prematurely, preventing a definitive outcome. Navarrete acknowledged the unusual end, crediting the Mexican fighting spirit. "It's that warrior spirit of being a Mexican that helped us today," he stated post-fight. He expressed feeling good and strong throughout the bout until the headbutt incident, emphasizing, "From the first moment of the impact, I knew it was a headbutt. It split my eyebrow completely, and from the first moment I noticed it was a headbutt."
Suarez, visibly affected by the stoppage and the cut, expressed sadness about the premature end but accepted the ruling. "Right now I'm sad, but that is part of the game," he commented. Despite the loss, the determined fighter declared his intent for a rematch, saying, "I want a rematch with Navarrete." Elsewhere in the card, local hero Giovani Santillan improved his record to 34-1 (18 KOs) with a solid 10-round unanimous decision victory over Angel Beltran in the Welterweight division. Santillan, fighting back at Pechanga Arena where he had suffered his only loss last May, looked composed throughout the night.
Scores were 97-93 across the three judges' cards. Also on the main card, Raymond Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) captured the vacant IBF Interim lightweight world title with a decisive performance against Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs). Muratalla demonstrated exceptional tactical sense, keeping his distance and peppering his opponent with calculated short punches. He effectively avoided the Russian's rushes, landing clean shots to the body and head.
"He was a tough fighter. He came to fight," Muratalla noted. "I knew that. I was just using my skills and picked him apart." He now holds the mandatory challenge for IBF champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. While the primary headline involved the title defense, several other bouts provided notable results. Andres Cortes (23-0, 12 KOs) successfully returned from an extended layoff with a unanimous decision win. Perla Bazaldua (2-0, 1 KO) delivered a commanding performance in her Top Rank debut. Sebastian Hernandez (20-0, 18 KOs) secured a hard-fought unanimous decision win, and Alan Garcia (16-1, 11 KOs) continued his winning ways.
