SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 20: Emanuel Navarrete celebrates after defeating Eduardo Baez in the … More
While the boxing schedule this weekend is not as loaded as the Cinco de Mayo weekend was, there is a title fight to consider. That bout, which takes place on Saturday, May 10, from Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California, finds Emanuel Navarrete putting his WBO junior lightweight title on the line against Charly Suarez. Navarrete has defended his 130-pound crown three times. Below, we look at the betting odds, line movement, picks, and predictions for the Navarrete vs. Suarez fight.
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Betting Odds And Line Movement
When the betting odds opened for this title fight, Navarrete was the -550 betting favorite over the +360 Suarez. Those odds have shifted slightly. Today, the champ is a -600 favorite over the challenger, who stands as the +370 betting underdog.
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 16: WBO junior lightweight champion Emanuel Navarrete waits for the … More
The last time Emanuel Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) stepped into the boxing ring at Pechanga Arena he dropped a split decision to Denys Berinchyk in a battle for the vacant WBO lightweight title. If Navarrete had won, he would have become a four-weight champion. The setback marked the first loss of Navarrete’s career since he lost a unanimous decision to Daniel Argueta in his sixth pro bout, back in 2012.
Navarrete, who has held the WBO junior lightweight title since he won the vacant belt with a TKO over Liam Wilson in February 2023, bounced back from the loss to Berinchyk with a sixth-round knockout of Oscar Valdez in December. That fight was his third defense of his WBO belt.
ESPN has Navarrete as the No. 1 boxer in the junior lightweight division. This matchup marks his 16th world title fight.
Charly Suarez (18-0, 10 KOs) is the No. 1 ranked contender according to the WBO. Suarez is coming off a September 2024 TKO win over Jorge Castaneda.
Suarez had a long and accomplished amateur career before turning pro in 2019, including representing the Philippines at the 2016 Olympics.
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Tale Of The Tape
Emanuel Navarrete
Record: 39-2-1 (32 KOs)
Age: 30
Height: 5’7″
Reach: 72″
Stance: Orthodox
Charly Suarez
Record: 18-0 (10 KOs)
Age: 36
Height: 5’6″
Reach: 74″
Stance: Orthodox
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Breakdown
The question facing Navarrete entering Saturday’s bout against Suarez is what version of Navarrete will show up in San Diego? Navarrete is a good fighter, but he can lack in his preparation when he doesn’t take a fighter seriously. What makes that dangerous is that he could run into the underdog who slipped between the ropes with a lot of preparation and pride. Suarez could fit that bill on Saturday night.
While Navarrete is the younger fighter, he has many more pro bouts on his record. That can be good and bad. It gives him much more experience than Suarez, but it also means he has a lot more miles on him than his opponent, and those miles have been at a higher level, which means Navarrete has accumulated more damage.
The expectation is that Suarez will fight to Navarrete’s strengths, pushing forward with a high output and looking to engage in a slugfest. If Navarrete is dialed in and ready, he possesses the power and skills to get his opponent out of the ring inside 12 rounds. After all, this is Suarez’s first title fight, and he has yet to face an opponent as good as Navarrete.
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Prediction And Pick
The betting pick, assuming Navarrete is 100 percent prepared for this matchup is that he will win via knockout.
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Undercard Fight To Watch
If Navarrete wins on Saturday, his next opponent could come from the undercard. In one of the bouts leading to Navarrete vs. Suarez, Andres Cortes faces Salvador Jimenez. Cortes, who is ranked No. 9 at 130 pounds by ESPN is a massive betting favorite in that matchup, and has said he wants to face the champ.
“I would have been willing to go toe to toe with Navarrete for 12 rounds,” Cortes said. ”I think that’s what the fans want to see. We could have delivered a fight of the year.”
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Fight Card Date:
Saturday, May 10
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Fight Card Time:
Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET
Preliminary Card: 5:30 p.m. ET
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Fight Card Location:
Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California
Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Charly Suarez Fight Card How to Watch Or Stream
ESPN+
Forbes will have full results from the Navarrete vs. Suarez boxing card on Saturday night.
