Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete and Joet Gonzalez engaged in a border struggle for the ages.
Navarrete (35-1, 29 KOs) retained his WBO featherweight world title with a bloody unanimous determination (118-110 and 116-112 2x) over Joet Gonzalez (24-2, 14 KOs) on Friday night at Pechanga Area San Diego.
“It was a really shut battle however I feel the distinction between us was conditioning,” Navarrete mentioned in his post-fight interview. “I damage him, however each single time he got here again. He additionally damage me with a few photographs that he landed in the course of the battle.”
It was the second profitable title protection for Navarrete, who moved as much as the featherweight ranks final yr after defending his junior featherweight crown 5 instances.
“It has been an thrilling experience to this point, and to any extent further I need the larger fights,” mentioned Navarrete.
The larger fights might embrace an eventual transfer as much as 130 kilos, the place a match with WBC champion Oscar Valdez could be one of many greatest all-Mexican showdowns within the sport.
However on this night time, Navarrete needed to take care of the cussed Gonzalez, who hung in robust regardless of swollen proper eye within the early rounds. Navarrete threw 979 punches, together with 104 within the twelfth spherical to shut the present in fashion.
Gonzalez now goes again to the drafting board, after dropping out in his second world title battle. He dropped a lopsided twelve spherical determination to Shakur Stevenson in 2019, for a similar WBO world title that his at present held by Navarrete. Stevenson vacated the belt for a transfer to tremendous featherweight and challenges WBO champion Jamel Herring subsequent Saturday night time.
https://www.boxingscene.com/emanuel-navarrete-its-an-exciting-ride-i-want-bigger-fights–161289 | Emanuel Navarrete: It is Been an Thrilling Journey, I Need The Larger Fights
