Suarez underdog in world title fight as Navarrete struggles to make weight

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Davao del Norte pride Charly Suarez looks to avoid the fate of four other Filipino boxers who fell against Mexican champion Emanuel Navarrete

MANILA, Philippines – Given the world title shot he has longed for, Charly Suarez intends to stun Emanuel Navarrete when they tangle for the Mexican’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior lightweight belt on Saturday, May 10 (Sunday, May 11, Philippine time) at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.

A huge +360 underdog ($100 bet nets $360), Suarez will try to avenge the knockout losses four other Filipinos suffered previously against Navarrete, a -500 favorite (risk $500 to earn $100), and fulfill his ultimate goal of becoming a world champion.

“I’ll give it all [in this fight]. I’ve dreamed of this,” said Suarez,  aware that at 36 years old, this could be his last crack at ring glory.

Reaping the benefits of a long and hard training regimen charted by his friend and coach Delfin Boholst, Suarez breezed past the official weigh-in on Friday, May 9 (Saturday, May 10, Manila time), checking in at 129.9 pounds on his first attempt.

In contrast, Navarrete struggled to make weight, coming in at 130.4 pounds on his first try, stripping off his boxer briefs and going down to 130.3, before spending nearly two hours shedding off the extra weight to make the 130-pound limit on his third attempt.

Boholst, a former national team member like Suarez, told Rappler on the eve of the fight, he knew of Navarrete’s weight problems, but is uncertain whether it would significantly affect the Mexican’s performance in the 12-rounder.

One thing Boholst is sure of, “Suarez is in 100 percent condition.”

According to Boholst, Suarez (18-0 with 10 knockouts) will stick to their original plan of avoiding matching Navarrete’s punch rate, especially in the early going, before making adjustments as the fight progresses.

“We’ll find out whether Navarrete can absorb Suarez’s punches. If he gets hurt, then the strategy changes,” said Boholst.

Although Navarrete, who holds a 39-2-1 win-loss-draw slate laced with 32 knockouts, is six years younger and an inch taller than Suarez at 5-foot-7, the pride of Davao del Norte has a two-inch edge in reach.

Boholst said Suarez would rehydrate by eight to 10 pounds for the biggest fight of his pro career that started late in 2019. – Rappler.com