WBO super featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete (40-2-1, 32 KOs) was saved from a near-certain defeat, winning a questionable eight-round technical decision over Charly Suarez (18-1, 10 KOs) on Saturday night at the Pachanga Arena in San Diego, California.
The ringside doctor advised that the fight be stopped one second into the eighth round due to a cut that Navarrete had suffered in round six. The cut was ruled caused by a clash of heads. However, it appeared that it was from a punch from Suarez.
Navarrete’s corner had done a good job of patching up the cut going into the seventh. Going into the eighth, they didn’t appear to put much grease on it. So, it was still bleeding when he came out to the start of the round. The referee then marched Navarrete over to the ringside doctor, who advised that the fight be halted.
The judges scored it 78-75, 77-76, and 77-76. I had it for Suarez 5-2. Navarrete clearly deserved to lose. This is yet another controversial decision the popular but vulnerable Navarrete has been involved in that saved him from defeat.
Raymond Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) out-punched and outboxed Zaur Abdullaev (20-2, 12 KOs) to win a wide 12-round unanimous decision to capture the IBF interim lightweight title in the co-feature bout. The scores were 118-110, 119-109, and 119-109. It was a closer fight than the three judges’ scorecards, but they got the right guy as the winner. I had it 115-113 for Muratalla. He won, but it was close, and he looked very beatable tonight.
This was not the type of performance that you’d say Muratalla could beat Vasily Lomachenko or WBO champion Keyshawn Davis. Both of them beat him off of what we saw tonight. Muratalla is a good basic puncher, but Keyshawn, Gervonta Davis, and Abdullah Mason are better in that department. It’s not surprising that Muratalla said he didn’t want to fight Keyshawn when asked after the fight. It was like he was hit with a bolt of lightning when asked that question in the post-fight press conference. You could tell that Muratalla wants nothing to do with fighting Davis.
Muratalla landed harder, cleaner shots, but he was far from perfect in the fight. He got hit a lot by Abdullaev, and was fortunate that he didn’t let his hands go as much as Tevin Farmer had in their fight. Muratalla struggled against him.
“It feels great to have this around my waist. I picked him apart and won every round,” said Muratalla after the fight. “I’m the mandatory for him, and that’s what we’re looking forward. It would be great to have his name on my resume,” said Muratalla about IBF champion Vasily Lomachenko. “I’m not thinking about that right now,” said Muratalla about fighting WBO lightweight champion Keyshawn Davis.
All Results:
Junior Lightweight: Andres Cortes (23-0, 12 KOs) returned from a nearly 11-month layoff and secured a 10-round unanimous decision over Spain’s Salvador Jimenez (14-2-1, 6 KOs) in a largely tactical bout. Scores: 100-90 2x and 99-91.
Welterweight: San Diego native Giovani Santillan (34-1, 18 KOs) earned a workmanlike 10-round unanimous decision over Mexico’s Angel Beltran (18-3, 11 KOs). Returning to the site of his lone defeat, last May’s TKO loss to Brian Norman Jr., Santillan exorcised those demons and secured his second straight victory. Scores: 97-93 3x.
Junior Bantamweight: Perla Bazaldua (2-0, 1 KO) shined in her Top Rank debut, shutting out and shutting down the capable Mona Ward (0-2) over four one-sided rounds. Scores: 40-36 3x.
Lightweight: Alan Garcia (16-1, 11 KOs) scored a unanimous points verdict against Cristian Medina (8-3-1, 5 KOs). Garcia was buzzed in the second round, but he recovered to outbox and outfight the durable Mexican veteran. Scores: 79-73 3x.
Junior Featherweight: Sebastian Hernandez (20-0, 18 KOs), a rising contender from Tijuana, Mexico, earned a hard-fought unanimous decision over former world title challenger Azat Hovhannisyan (21-6, 17 KOs). Hovhannisyan had moments, but Hernandez pulled away down the stretch and went the 10-round distance for the first time. Scores: 98-91 3x.
Junior Welterweight: Sammy Contreras (2-0, 1 KO) UD 4 Dyllon Cervantes Alvarado (4-6-1, 2 KOs), Scores: 40-36 3x.