Emanuel Navarrete will struggle this Saturday, trying to seize the vacant WBO light-weight title towards unbeaten Denys Berinchyk within the 12-round major occasion on ESPN on the Pechanga Enviornment in San Diego, California. The occasion can be proven reside at 11:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.
Navarrete’s Bold Leap to Light-weight
Navarrete (38-1-1, 31 KOs) to tackle #1 WBO Berinchyk (18-0, 9 KOs) for the vacant 135-lb belt. The 29-year-old Navarrete was in a position to make use of his standing because the WBO tremendous featherweight champion to get a straight shot on the light-weight title with that group.
If Navarrete loses, he’ll probably return to 130 and resume defending that belt. It is a tough struggle for Navarrete with taking up the 2012 Olympic silver medalist Berinchyk.
After transferring as much as 130 kilos in 2023, Navarrete didn’t look overly spectacular in two of his three bouts at tremendous featherweight. He seemed a bit fats and struggled in his fights towards Liam Wilson and Robson Conceição.
Now, after one 12 months at tremendous featherweight, Navarrete is transferring as much as light-weight and taking up a tricky fighter in 35-year-old Berinchyk.
It’s a dangerous struggle for Navarrete, however he would possibly really feel he has to maneuver up as a result of he’s received extra alternatives for large paydays at light-weight than he does at tremendous featherweight.
Navarrete’s Weight and Efficiency Issues
Additionally, Navarrete’s weight is a matter, as he appears like he’s getting larger. It’s unclear what Navarrete is doing in between fights for his waistline to look sort of flabby, but it surely’s comprehensible why he retains transferring up in weight.
Navarrete has two issues working in his favor: Berinchyk isn’t a spring hen with a number of miles on the clock from his newbie profession in Ukraine, and he’s not an enormous puncher, so that ought to assist Navarrete.
If Navarrete wins this struggle, he might probably struggle IBF champion Vasily Lomachenko subsequent in a unification conflict. If he Navarrete loses to Berinchyk, he’ll probably return to tremendous featherweight.
Undercard Spotlight: Santillan vs. Norman Jr.
Additionally on this Saturday’s card is #1 WBO welterweight contender Giovani Santillan (32-0, 17 KOs), preventing Brian Norman Jr (25-0, 19 KOs) in a 12-round contest. Santillan, 32, is coming off a sixth-round knockout of the heavy-handed Alexis Rocha final October in a struggle.
