Arguably the most busiest and scariest boxer to face right now Emanuel ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete was at his best yet again after knocking out his Puerto Rican opponent to successfully defend his WBO Feather title for the first time.
It’s so impressive of the Mexican who made himself known to the world proper after claiming his first world title from Isaac ‘The Royal Storm’ Dogboe back in December 2018 to have won all his six subsequent fights claiming the featherweight title in the process.
In an impressive fight last night at the Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, Florida, USA, where he co-headlined the fight with Christoper Diaz, Navarrete knocked down his opponent four times with those coming in the fourth, twice in the eighth and final round. The verdict was clear as they entered the final round with referee Samuel Burgos bringing the night to an end after Diaz’s head trainer Nelson Rodriguez had thrown in the towel.
The two-division world champion was pleased with the fight overall
“We put on a worthy performance. I knew he was tough, I knew he was strong, and I knew he could hit hard, but he surpassed all my expectations,”
Navarrete, 26, was also impressed with Diaz’s stamina beating the count each tine he visits the canvas
“I was really impressed by ‘Pitufo,’ because every time I hurt him, every time I knocked him down, he came back stronger. He was a beast in there. He kept coming at me, he kept getting better even though I kept hurting him. As the fight progressed, you’d expect him to get weaker. I just couldn’t understand it. I’ve got the utmost respect for ‘Pitufo’ Diaz and what he did tonight.”
Navarrete said he was happy that Rodriguez threw in the towel
“I saw how hurt he was and I was concerned for him and I’m glad that they threw in the towel because I looked at him and I was very thankful he wasn’t severely hurt,”
He continued, “We were able to talk to one another and he was responsive and everything was OK. And that’s what this sport is about – caring for your fellow competitor. So, thank goodness, that he is OK.”
Finally, the champion went on to call for the other title holders in his division to challenge him or move up again
“Leo Santa Cruz still holds a belt, I’d like to fight him. Gary Russell Jr is another name in this weight class. I hope they’ll step up and fight me. In the end, if those options aren’t available to me, I can go to 130. I think I’ve earned the right to call for big fights.”
By Winfred Worlanyo Yaw Siegu