The WBO has ordered tremendous featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete to start negotiations with interim champ Oscar Valdez for a rematch of their battle final yr in August. The 2 fighters have 20 days to hammer a deal earlier than a handbag bid.
A Questionable Determination
It’s a pointless battle in some ways, as Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) defeated Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) by a lopsided 12-round unanimous choice final yr in Glendale, Arizona; The scores have been 119–109, 118–110 and 116–112.
Navarrete used his excessive punch output and 72-inch attain to dominate the smaller Valvez, who couldn’t deal with his dimension and nonstop punches. Navarrete appeared like a welterweight after he rehydrated for the Valdez battle, and he had approach an excessive amount of dimension for the small 5’5 1/2″ fighter to deal with.
What makes this battle much more foolish is that Navarrete is coming off a twelve-round break up choice to Denys Berinchyk final Might in a failed bid to seize the vacant WBO light-weight title in San Diego, California.
Navarrete got here near profitable not one of the rounds, however the three judges have been very variety to him. He was the A-side in that battle, going through an growing old fighter with Olympic expertise who many had thought he would dominate. Berinchyk’s beginner pedigree was an excessive amount of for Navarrete in that battle.
Followers on social media need Navarrete to remain at light-weight to try to avenge his loss to Berinchyk as a result of it’s a foul search for him to maneuver again right down to tremendous featherweight to defend his WBO title in opposition to a fighter he already beat final yr.
Unfairness to Contenders
It could have been a greater transfer for the World Boxing Group to strip Navarrete of his WBO 130-lb title as soon as he moved as much as 135 to battle for the vacant title in opposition to Berinchyk.
Permitting Navarrete to maintain his WBO tremendous featherweight title after he’d moved as much as light-weight is unfair to the contenders within the 130-lb division.
The 2012 Olympic silver medalist Berinchyk took Navarrete to highschool in that battle. He dominated each spherical, making his misses and carving him up with photographs.
The judges scored it 115-113, 116-112 for Berinchyk, and 116-112 for Navarrete. Nevertheless, in a whole mismatch battle, Berinchyk received the higher of Navarrete in all 12 rounds.