Emanuel Navarrete got the job done in emphatic style last night in Phoenix when he rumbled for a second time with fellow Mexican warrior Oscar Valdez. The two went the full 12 rounds in a war back in August of last year, with Navarrete winning via unanimous decision in what was a great action fight.
In last night’s rematch, Navarrete scored three knockdowns in total, with his shot to the liver in round six ending matters. Now 39-2-1(32) WBO junior lightweight champ Navarrete said he is looking forward to a big 2025. It’s not clear what Valdez, now 32-3(24) will do next.
After scoring his big win, Navarrete dedicated his efforts to Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez, was was at ringside.
“Look, I’ve always been a great fan of Julio Cesar Chavez,” Navarrete said to ESPN. “I’ve always treated him with the utmost respect and that [liver] shot is all about continuing the legacy of the legend Julio Cesar Chavez. You could expect great things from me in 2025……it’s going to be one, maybe two more fights at 130. And then, there’s a lot of activity for me at 135.”
While it would be great to see Navarrete in big unification fights at 130 pounds – the other champions being O’Shaquie Foster, Lamont Roach, and Anthony Cacace – the thought of Navarrete swapping leather with the likes of Tank Davis and Shakur Stevenson, and maybe one or two other lightweight fighters, really gets a fan excited.
Navarrete, who has never been stopped, is never in a dull fight, and it will be very interesting to see if he can become a four-weight world champion. 29 year old Navarrete has won belts at junior feather, featherweight, and junior lightweight. A pro since 2012, “Vaquero” has been beaten only by Daniel Argueta (this in his sixth pro outing) and by Denys Berinchyk in May of this year, this in a previous attempt at winning a title at 135 pounds.
How many great nights and fights has Navarrete got left?
