The vacant WBO super featherweight title is at stake this Friday evening, as Mexican banger Emanuel Navarrete moves up in weight to take on Australia’s inexperienced Liam Wilson at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Top Rank promote Navarrete vs Wilson and the card is live on Sky Sports in the UK, and ESPN+ in the USA.
Navarrete (36-1, KO30) is aiming to become a three-weight world champion, having first served as WBO super bantamweight champion in December 2018 with a points win over Isaac Dogboe, who he halted in the last round of a rematch.
Five defences followed including a rematch win over Dogboe, before a move to featherweight where he claimed the vacant WBO strap by dropping Ruben Villa twice on the way to a points win in October 2020.
The 28-year-old defended three times, the last a sixth round knockout of Eduardo Baez in August last year.
‘Vaquero’ now seeks a hattrick of WBO belts, and Wilson (11-1, 7 KOs) shouldn’t prove too tricky an obstacle to overcome.
The 26-year-old has never fought outside of his homeland, and his sole defeat came in July 2021, where he was dropped four times before succumbing to Joe Noynay in five.
Wilson would get his revenge eight months later, stopping the same opponent in two to take the WBO Asia Pacific belt.
The Queensland native was last seen in June last year, outscoring Matias Carlos Adrian Rueda over ten to claim the vacant WBO International title. He gets his chance as a result of figuring highly in the WBO rankings.
Prediction: Navarrete should be too strong in this one, with Wilson unexposed to world title level, and susceptible to being hurt. The Mexican should get the job done before halfway and claim the belt which was stripped from previous champion, Shakur Stevenson.
Barboza battles Pedraza
Three intriguing ten rounders head the undercard.
Arnold Barboza Jr has been working his way up the rankings and he faces a stern test in a super lightweight meeting with two weight world champion, Jose Pedraza.
Barboza Jr (27-0, 10 KOs) has beaten the likes of faded contenders, Mike Alvarado and Tony Luis and has won International and Intercontinental WBO baubles.
The Californian has been the ten round distance in his last four outings, the last a points win against the unbeaten Danielito Zorrilla last July.
Pedraza (29-4-1, 14 KOs) hasn’t been able to pin down a world title shot at ten stone, after reigning as IBF super featherweight and WBO lightweight champion previously.
The Puerto Rican is winless in his last two, losing to Jose Ramirez on the cards, and his last fight was a draw with Richard Commey in August 2022.
Prediction: Barboza can take the win over the distance here.
Remaining Undercard
Andres Cortes (18-0, 10 KOs) is another to keep an eye on, and the Las Vegas-based super featherweight can outscore Luis Melendez (17-2, 13 KOs) over ten. Also at super featherweight, Xavier Martinez (18-1, 12 KOs) should have too much for Yohan Vasquez (25-3, 20 KOs), and can also secure a points win.
In the sole eight rounder, Mexican super lightweight Lindolfo Delgado (16-0, 13 KOs) can win early against Clarence Booth (21-6, 13 KOs).
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In six round action, Nico Ali Walsh (7-0, 5 KOs) should win his middleweight clash against Eduardo Ayala (9-2-1, 3 KOs), and at heavyweight, 2020 Olympic silver medalist, Richard Torrez Jr (4-0, 4 KOs) can see off James Bryant (6-2, 4 KOs) inside the distance.
The only four rounder is at lightweight, where Emiliano Vargas (2-0, 2 KOs), son of former world champion, Fernando Vargas, can stop Francisco Duque (1-1).
