LAS VEGAS (October 9, 2020) — New weight class, same buzzsaw. Former junior featherweight world champion Emanuel Navarrete defeated Ruben Villa via unanimous decision (115-111 and 114-112 2X) to win the vacant WBO featherweight world title Friday evening from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Conference Center.

Navarrete (33-1, 28 KOs), who made five defenses of his WBO junior featherweight world title, is now a two-weight world champion.

Navarrete knocked down Villa in the first and fourth rounds to build a healthy lead on the scorecards. Villa (18-1, 5 KOs), a slick southpaw boxer, did not have the power to keep the all-pressure Navarrete honest. He did, however, find a rhythm in the fight’s closing stages and nearly did enough in the minds of the judges to salvage a draw.

Navarrete said, “I knew that Villa was a fighter that moved a lot, and I knew that he was going to move even more once he felt my power. I didn’t get the knockout, but I got the victory.

“I’m very happy with this championship. It’s a reflection of all the sacrifices and all the hard work I put in. I conquered my second weight class because of all that hard work.

“I have my sights set on all the world champions at 126. I would love to face {Josh} Warrington. I think that our styles will make for a great fight.”

Qazaq Style Thunder

Middleweight contender Janibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly brought the thunder. The 2016 Olympian improved to 9-0 with a devastating second-round knockout over Gonzalo Coria (16-4, 6 KOs), who had never been stopped as a professional. An overhand left from the southpaw knocked Coria down and nearly through the ropes. The full count was not needed, as Alimkhanuly upped his knockout streak to three.

Alimkhanuly said, “I want to fight a world champion soon, like Demetrius Andrade and Jermall Charlo. Canelo, of course. Top Rank promotes Ryota Murata at 160. I want to fight him as well. Whoever the top guys are 160, I want them next.”

Photos by M. Williams / Top Rank

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LAS VEGAS (October 7, 2020) —Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete has won 27 consecutive bouts. Ruben Villa has never lost as a professional. Something will give Friday evening (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET), when the two battle for the vacant WBO featherweight world title, which became available after Shakur Stevenson moved up to the junior lightweight ranks.

The ESPN-televised co-feature will see Kazakh middleweight phenom Janibek Alimkhanuly against Gonzalo Coria in a 10-rounder. Undercard bouts, including middleweight prospect Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson against Sonny Duversonne and junior welterweight puncher Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez against Cameron Krael, will stream live on ESPN+ at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) reigned as WBO junior featherweight world champion and became boxing’s most active world champion. He made five defenses of the title he won from Isaac Dogboe in a nine-month span and most recently knocked out Uriel Lopez in a June non-title bout in Mexico City.

Villa (18-0, 5 KOs), from Salinas, Calif, earned this title shot with wins over the likes of Alexei Collado and Jose Enrique Vivas, but Navarrete represents a giant step up in class. Villa fights for his Salinas Valley home region, which has been ravaged by wildfires in recent months. The poor air quality has forced him to wear a mask during roadwork. The field workers are still out there, providing Villa with ample motivation as he awaits his first world title opportunity.

At Wednesday’s press conference, this is what Navarrete and Villa had to say.

Emanuel Navarrete

“With the current situation and the camp we’ve had, {my team} has done a great job. We’ve worked through it, and we’re ready for this match.”

“My body is doing a lot better. I’m growing a little bit more. It was getting a little bit difficult making 122, but now going up to 126, I think I’m more prepared for that.”

“For now, we’re pretty much ready. We’re ready for this weight. We’re ready for this fight on Friday night, so I think we’re ready to go with what we have. After this fight, we’re going to keep moving forward.”

Ruben Villa

“There have been a couple of restrictions and stuff due to COVID, but I’ve been in the gym, I’ve been active. It hasn’t gotten in the way of me training and my team’s training. Yeah, we trained hard, another hard camp, and we’re ready for Friday night.”

“My last couple of fights, they’ve been aggressive guys who come to beat me and think they’re going to get me off my game plan. But I adapted well. We always had good game plans and stuck to game plans, and now we’re here fighting for a world title. I feel like I’m ready. I feel like he’s beatable, and my style is the one to do it.”

“He’s an aggressive guy who throws 100 punches a round. I feel like it’s just going to bring the best out of me to do my job as well as I can.

“I feel like you’re going to see a bigger and better Ruben Villa this Friday.”

“Running with the mask on, seeing the field workers working during the pandemic and fires, it’s just another motivation for me to win this fight and bring Salinas its first world title. I just can’t wait to show you guys what I got.”

“I want to see the best Ruben Villa. I haven’t even seen him yet. I feel like Navarrete will bring it out of me. I’m just excited to perform and, like I said, show you guys what I got. I feel like I’ve been slept on. Maybe a lot of people think I don’t belong here, but I’m going to show everyone I’m an elite 126 fighter. Yeah, I’m coming to win and coming to fight.”

Photos by Mikey Williams/Top Rank

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PHILADELPHIA, PA/ / ORANGE, CA. (Sept. 21, 2020) – On Friday night, October 9th, undefeated WBO number-two ranked featherweight contender Ruben Villa (18-0, 5 KOs) gets his much-deserved world title shot when he takes on former WBO super bantamweight world champion, and WBO number-one ranked contender, Emanuel Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs), in a battle for the WBO World Featherweight title.

Navarrete is undefeated in the last eight-years, which spans 27 fights.

The fight will take place at “The Bubble” inside the MGM Grand Conference Center, and will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

“I have been working my butt off since I was a little kid for this opportunity, and I just can’t wait to get in there and fight for the title,” said Villa, who is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing. “Navarrete is a real aggressive Mexican fighter. He is coming to win. He was a former champion, and I am the underdog, but I have the style to beat him. We have kept the camp the same. We just treat it like it’s every other fight, just that this fight is for a world title. All my hard work is paying off. I am honored and excited to represent everyone who has supported me and my journey to become a world champion, and I plan on bringing the world title back to my home city of Salinas, California.”

“This is what we envisioned for Ruben when we signed him out of the amateurs, to be fighting for a world title,” said Artie Pelullo, President of Banner Promotions. “That opportunity has now arrived, and we expect Ruben to put on a great performance on October 9th and win the WBO Featherweight World Title. I would be remiss if I didn’t thank Stephen Espinoza and Gordon Hall of Showtime for all their help with the development of Ruben’s career, by showcasing him on ShoBox that has helped get him ready for this fight.”

“Ruben Villa is a terrific fighter and has the ability to make his dream to become a world champion a reality. The hard work that Banner Promotions and us at Thompson Boxing have put on his career will surely pay off,” said Ken Thompson, CEO of Thompson Boxing. “Navarrete is a terrific champion and it will be a huge challenge for our fighter, but I’m sure Ruben will rise up to the occasion and make us all proud.”

Photo By Emily Harney / Banner Promotions

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Both asked to become top challenger in their new divisions

Undefeated star Shakur Stevenson and Mexican warrior Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete officially relinquished their World Boxing Organization Championship Titles and requested to become number one ranked challengers in their new weigh divisions.

Shakur won the Featherweight Championship last October 26, defeating then undefeated Joet González by unanimous decision in Reno, Nevada.

On July 7, Shakur wrote to the WBO to notify this sanctioning body that he was having serious difficulties making the division’s 126-pound limit. Because of this, he decided to move up in weight requested to be ranked in the Junior Lightweight (130 pound) division, where Jamel Herring is the current WBO ruler.

“I look forward in the very near future to fighting for another World Championship within the WBO,” Stevenson, silver medalist in the 2016 Olympic Games said in his email to the WBO.

WBO President Francisco Valcárcel Mulero, Esq. said that Shakur will become the number one challenger at 130 pounds.

Meanwhile, Navarrete’s advisor, Guillermo Brito Rodríguez wrote to the WBO on July 11 to notify that ‘Vaquero” was relinquishing his WBO Junior Featherweight Title and moving up to the Featherweight division for similar reasons.

Navarrete was crowned WBO 122-pound World Champion December 8, 2018 with an impressive unanimous decision victory over then-undefeated titlist Isaac Dogboe, of Ghana. He then knocked him out in the immediate rematch. In total, “Vaquero” successfully defended his crown five times.

In his email, Brito Rodríguez requested that Navarrete be named the top challenger at his new division.

Regarding Navarrete, Valcárcel said that he will also be ranked number one contender and could face the highest available contender for the vacant title. He mentioned Irish Olympian Michael Conlan, former Champion Jesse Magdaleno, and Rubén Villa as possible opponents.

At only 23 years of age, Shakur, who was considered the brightest star in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, has shown great potential as a young champion in the professional ranks with a blend of impressive speed, great technique, and natural instincts inside the ring.

Navarrete, 25 years-old, is a proud member of the great Mexican school of boxing, and uses his formidable conditioning, relentless pressure, and solid skills to defeat his opponents.

Valcárcel said that with a bit of luck, Shakur and Navarrete will again be fighting for the WBO title soon.

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WBO president Frabcisco ‘Paco’ Valcárcel,Esq. revealed last Saturday night that if 122-pound champion Emanuel Navarrete moves up to 126, he’ll be #1 in the division and possibly challenge for the title right away.

In a stay busy fight last Saturday night, Navarrete stopped Uriel Lopez (13-14-1, 6 KOs) in the sixth round at the Gimnasio TV Azteca, in Mexico City. Navarrete toyed with Lopez for four rounds before turning on the heat and knocking him down in rounds five and six with body shots.

The reference mercifully stopped the slaughter after Lopez was put down for the second time in the fight in the sixth. The 25-year-old Navarrete put on a body punching clinic with his showcase fight against Lopez, and that made it an entertaining contest to watch.

Navarrete has an old school style of fighting that is interesting to watch, considering most fighters nowadays are strictly headhunters that ignore the body.

Navarrete Can Fight For WBO 126-Lb Title Right Away

Valcarcel says Navarrete (31-1, 27 KOs) can battle for the WBO featherweight belt IF the current champion Shakur Stevenson opts to move up in weight to 130, something he recently talked about last week. It’s not clear what the 22-year-old Stevenson will do, though.

Shakur wants to move up if he can get a fight against one of the top guys are 130, but the fighters that he wants to face are already busy. In that case, Stevenson could choose to remain at 126 if he can get a fight against someone like IBF champ Josh Warrington. It might not interest Stevenson to face 25-year-old Navarrete because he doesn’t have a title, and the match wouldn’t be as huge as it could be later.

“If @vaqueronavarre1 [Emanuel Navarrete] decides to move up to 126 he will be #1 in that division, 3 possible opponents, [Michael] Conlan, Ruben Vila and [Jessie] Magdaleno if @ShakurStevenson
move up,” said WBO president PacoValcarcel on his Twitter.

These are the fighters WBO president Paco Valcarcel says Navarrete can face potentially for the vacant WBO 126-pound title:

Michael Conlan
Ruben Villa
Jessie Magdaleno

2016 Olympian Michael Conlan (13-0, 7 KOs) is the #1 ranked contender with the World Boxing Organization at 126. The 28-year-old Conlan will be the guy in the spotlight if Navarrete moves up to 126. However, it’s believed that Conlan will pass on the fight.

More on https://www.boxingnews24.com/2020/06/wbo-president-valcarcel-emanuel-navarrete-will-be-1-at-126-if-he-moves-up/

Writer: Jeff Aronow

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Top Rank on ESPN: Joshua Greer Jr., Jose Pedraza and Emanuel Navarrete to Headline at MGM Grand and TV Azteca Studios

Greer-Mike Plania, Pedraza-Mikkel LesPierre and Navarrete-Uriel Lopez to top Week 2 cards LIVE on ESPN & ESPN Deportes

LAS VEGAS (June 9, 2020) — Don’t blink. Top Rank on ESPN’s summer schedule resumes with a trio of shows, commencing Tuesday, June 16, with the return of bantamweight contender Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. in a 10-rounder against 23-year-old Filipino upstart Mike Plania at the MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom in Las Vegas.

The action continues from MGM Grand Thursday, June 18, when former two-weight world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza will face former world title challenger Mikkel LesPierre in a 10-round super lightweight showdown.

Week 2 concludes Saturday, June 20, at TV Azteca Studios in Mexico City, when WBO junior featherweight world champion Navarrete will fight Uriel “Yuca” Lopez in a 10-round featherweight bout. Navarrete-Lopez will headline one of two June cards from TV Azteca Studios, which will be promoted by Top Rank in association with Zanfer Promotions.

All three Week 2 events will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (in Spanish), with start times to be announced shortly.

“It is exciting to see these great fighters back in action and in fights that promise to be action-packed,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Greer and Pedraza have tough opponents in front of them, but if they are victorious, we could see them in world title fights before the end of the year. Navarrete is the king of the 122-pounders, a throwback fighter who wants to stay as active as possible.”

June 16
MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom

Main Event
Joshua Greer Jr. (22-1-1, 12 KOs) vs. Mike Plania (23-1, 12 KOs)
10 rounds, Bantamweight

Greer, the Chicago product who taunts potential KO victims with custom-made pillows, is knocking on the doorstep of a world title shot. He has won 19 fights in a row and is currently the WBO No. 1 contender at bantamweight. Plania, meanwhile, has won eight straight bouts since a March 2018 decision loss to Juan Carlos Payano, a fight that propelled Payano to a world title shot against pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue.

“Whoever the opponent is, it doesn’t matter. I prepare the same,” Greer said. “Every fight is a world title fight for me. I’m ranked number one in the world, so I have to take advantage of this opportunity. ‘Mr. ESPN’ is back!”

Co-Feature
Antonio DeMarco (33-8-1, 24 KOs) vs. Giovani Santillan (25-0, 15 KOs)
10 rounds, Welterweight

Former lightweight world champion DeMarco, who is coming off a competitive decision loss to top contender Jamal James, represents a quantum leap in class for the 28-year-old Santillan. A native of San Diego who has stopped his last four opponents, Santillan hopes to become the first man to knock out DeMarco in nearly eight years. In his last bout, he overcame a nearly 19-month layoff to knock out Wilfrido Buelvas in two rounds.

Undercard

Nikoloz Sekhniashvili (5-0, 4 KOs), a 26-year-old who hails from the nation of Georgia, will make his 2020 debut against Detroit native Isiah Jones (8-1, 3 KOs) in a six-rounder at super middleweight. Sekhniashvili, trained by Javiel Centeno, is part of a deep stable of fighters that includes Puerto Rican phenom Xander Zayas and lightweight contender George Kambosos Jr.

Super featherweight prospect Edward Vazquez (7-0, 1 KO), from Fort Worth, Texas, will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.

Puerto Rican-born heavyweight Hector Perez (6-2, 3 KOs) will fight southpaw spoiler Juan Torres (5-2-1, 2 KOs), from Cypress, Texas, in a six-round bout. Torres has won two straight and has never been knocked out in a professional match.

June 18
MGM Grand Conference Center – Grand Ballroom

Main Event
Jose Pedraza (26-3, 13 KOs) vs. Mikkel LesPierre (22-1-1, 10 KOs)
10 rounds, Super Lightweight

Pedraza, who won world titles at junior lightweight and lightweight, is taking another run at the super lightweight division following last September’s decision loss to Jose “Chon” Zepeda. His opponent LesPierre challenged Maurice Hooker for a world title last year, dropping a unanimous decision. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brooklyn resident received deliveries and assisted doctors and nurses at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Manhattan.

“I am very excited to finally return to the ring after this long break. During quarantine, I made adjustments and trained hard from home, Pedraza said. “Despite everything that is happening in the world, my team and I have had a great training camp. I have done many runs up the mountains in Cidra, Puerto Rico. I am now focused on giving the fans a great show on June 18 against Mikkel LesPierre. We know he is a world-class fighter, but I am, too, and I am determined to return to the top once again.”

“I’m excited and blessed to be a part of the first round of televised sports as we navigate through this pandemic,” LesPierre said. “Jose Pedraza is a good fighter and a former world champion, but I feel that I have the tools to beat him. It will be a great fight and an opportunity for me to take my career to the next level. The Maurice Hooker fight was just a taste of what the elite level is all about. I’m determined to get back to title contention. This fight is the first step toward that goal. I’m ready to go.”

Co-Feature
Gabriel Flores Jr. (17-0, 6 KOs) vs. Josec Ruiz (21-2-3, 14 KOs)
10 rounds, Lightweight

The 20-year-old Flores, fresh off a win on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury 2 undercard, returns in his first scheduled 10-rounder. Flores, the Stockton, California native who signed with Top Rank when he was 16 years old, packed more than 10,000 spectators into the Stockton Arena last May to establish himself as one of the sport’s top regional ticket-sellers. Ruiz is unbeaten in his last 16 bouts.

Undercard

David “The Lion of Zion” Kaminsky (6-0, 3 KOs) will face noted spoiler Clay Collard (6-2-3, 2 KOs) in a six-rounder at super middleweight. Collard, who also is a veteran MMA pro, has defeated unbeaten prospects in his last two fights.

In four-round bouts each, Puerto Rican super featherweight Frevian Gonzalez (2-0, 1 KO) will fight an opponent to be named, while super lightweight Victor Rodriguez (2-0, 1 KO) will face Justin Horsley (0-1).

June 20
TV Azteca Studios

Main Event
Emanuel Navarrete (31-1, 27 KOs) vs. Uriel Lopez (13-13-1, 6 KOs)
10 rounds, Featherweight

Boxing’s most active world champion, Navarrete defended his title five times (all by KO) in nine months, most recently knocking out Jeo Santisima on the Wilder-Fury 2 Pay-Per-View undercard. Navarrete is fighting as a featherweight for the first time in nearly three years in what will be his sixth bout in 13 months. Lopez has a 2016 knockout victory over longtime Japanese contender Ryo Matsumoto.

Undercard action will feature Carlos “Chinito” Ornelas (25-2, 14 KOs), who will take on Edwin “Pupo” Palomares (12-3-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-rounder at featherweight. Featherweight prospect Sergio Chirino Sanchez (14-1, 8 KOs) will look to extend his winning streak to six against Gustavo Alan Pina (8-2, 5 KOs) in an eight-round bout.

Former interim world champion Silvia Torres (20-2-2, 7 KOs) will face 21-bout veteran Edith de Jesus Flores in an eight-rounder at light flyweight.

Mexico City-based flyweight prospect Ivan Armando Garcia (5-0, 3 KOs) will fight Roberto Palomares (5-4-1, 1 KO) in his first scheduled six-rounder.

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Emanuel Navarrete successfully defended his WBO junior featherweight title for the fifth time in nine months, battering an overmatched Jeo Santisima en route to an 11th round stoppage victory on the Wilder-Fury 2 undercard.

Navarrete (31-1, 27 KO) really had no trouble with Santisima (19-3, 16 KO), who was a huge underdog and proved that everyone had read the matchup correctly. This has become par for the course with Navarrete title defenses; while he fights regularly and people like that, his opponents are lousy for world title fights.

Santisima did prove durable and game, surviving as long as he did, but he didn’t trouble Navarrete at all. Navarrete dominated in several rounds and looked to close repeatedly, and while he suffered a clear injury to his right hand, he said Santisima lasted because of his toughness.

“I hit him weirdly with my right hand did hurt my thumb, but I had to plow through it and get the victory,” Navarrete told Bernardo Osuna. “The fight took a long time because I had a very tough opponent.”

VIA Badlefthook.com

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Turn down a fight for what? It’s not what WBO junior featherweight titleholder Navarrete does.

Watching Emanuel Navarrete box, you almost get the feeling that he enjoys fighting a little too much.

After upsetting Isaac Dogboe by unanimous decision to become the WBO junior featherweight champion in December 2018, Navarrete turned right around and defeated Dogboe by 12th-round TKO in the May 2019 rematch. That reinforced that his initial win was far from just a good night or fluke. He then proceeded to defend that very title three more times before the year ended for good measure.

It’s that kind of bustle that has helped the 25-year-old build his reputation as “The Mexican Iron Man.” Navarrete will look to make it five consecutive title defenses when he faces Jeo Santisima on the main card of Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

“This streak I’m riding of five world title defenses in less than nine months has been great for my career,” Navarrete told DAZN News via a translator. “After beating Isaac Dogboe for the world title, I’ve been a very active fighting champion. Thankfully, I’ve not received much punishment during my streak of world title defenses.”

It’s quite the opposite, as Navarrete has been the one doling out the punishment during this stretch with a third-round TKO of Francisco De Vaca in August, a fourth-round TKO of Juan Miguel Elorde less than a month later and a fourth-round stoppage of Francisco Horta in December.

Turn down a fight for what? It’s not going to happen on Navarrete’s watch — he’s putting the fighting in “fighting champion.” Navarrete (30-1, 26 KOs) has never abandoned the hungry, go-getter mentality of being an underdog throughout this period and doesn’t plan to relinquish it moving forward, either.

“Nothing has changed for me,” he said. “In a way, I still see myself as the underdog. That motivates me to keep working hard and to keep improving my skills. I want to get better with each fight that passes. I want to represent the Mexican flag and my motivation is to raise it as high as I can.”

Plus, he’s not shy about saying that he flat out savors fighting, aiming to have as busy of a 2020 as he did last year.

“I like the activity,” Navarrete said. “As long as I keep walking out unharmed from these fights, I would like to keep fighting as much as possible. It will all depend from the opportunities that my promoters present to me. They are doing a great job moving me and I never turn down a fight.”

For Navarrete, there’s a method behind this frantic pace. It’s his hope that he’ll force a unifying title shot with one of the other junior featherweight champions, whether it be newly crowned IBF/WBA champ Murodjon Akhmadaliev or WBC titleholder Rey Vargas.

“My opinion is that they need to fight me,” he said. “I’ve been looking for a title unification fight for a long time. It doesn’t matter, the name. It doesn’t matter who goes first. I want to face them all. I want to unify the division, but I can’t keep waiting forever. It’s getting tougher for me to make the weight. If I don’t get a title unification opportunity soon, I’ll probably move to featherweight.”

Until then, Navarrete has a fight on his hands with Filipino contender Jeo Santisima (19-2, 16 KOs) and he’s not about to overlook the challenge.

“You have to be prepared to go to war at all times and against any opponent,” he said. “I’m ready to go to war.”

Given the amount of eyes that are bound to converge on the Wilder-Fury 2 card, Navarrete sees Saturday night as an opportunity to introduce his brand of boxing to a new audience, while continuing to give familiar fans the fervent fighting they’ve come to know and love from him.

“This is an event that has captured the attention of fans around the world,” he said. “It’s always great to get that kind of exposure and to get to perform in front of such a big audience. This is a great opportunity for me to showcase all my skills on a big stage.

“The fans haven’t seen the best of me yet.”

But they continue to get him in high volume, which cannot be ignored … especially on the biggest boxing card of the year.

Via MARK LELINWALLA / DAZN.com

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Boxing’s busiest champion WBO Jr. Featherweight ruler Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete (30-1, 26 KOs) will make his fifth title defense in nine months against Jeo Santisima (19-2, 16 KOs) on Saturday’s Fury-Wilder PPV. 25-year-old Navarrete has won all his defenses so far by knockout (against Isaac Dogboe, Francisco de Vaca, Juan Miguel Elorde and Francisco Horta)

The Wilder vs. Fury II PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

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#WilderFury WBO Junior Featherweight World Champion Emanuel Navarrete Defends His Title Against the Philippines’ Jeo Santisima in PPV Featured Bout. The PPV begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Representing San Juan Zitlaltepec, Distrito Federal, México, Navarrete (30-1, 26 KOs) captured his 122-pound title by defeating Isaac Dogboe in December 2018, and emphatically retained the title by stopping Dogboe in the final round of their rematch in May 2019. The 25-year-old stayed busy after securing the title, scoring stoppage victories in successful title defenses in August, September and most recently in December, when he knocked out Francisco Horta in Mexico. He is boxing’s most active world champion, as the Santisima bout will be his fifth title defense in nine months.

“I am motivated to make my fifth defense in less than a year and especially because I’m proud to be part of a historic card headlined by Wilder vs. Fury II,” said Navarrete. “This is a great opportunity to put on an exhibition for the fans and showcase my talent once again. I’m very grateful to my promoters, Bob Arum and Fernando Beltran, for giving me these opportunities.”

The 23-year-old Santisima (19-2, 16 KOs) turned pro in 2013 as a 16-year-old and has not lost a fight since his fourth career contest in 2014. A native of Masbate City, Philippines, Santisima will ride a 17-fight winning streak into his U.S. debut and his first world title opportunity on February 22. His 2019 campaign saw him deliver victories over Alvius Maufani in August and Rene Dacquel in December.

“I really appreciate this opportunity, as this has been my dream since I was a kid,” said Santisima. “For this fight, I will train and prepare to become the new champion. I don’t feel any pressure. I will just do my best on fight night to show the world who I am. I heard and read the news that this fight is a mismatch, but I will do my best to give a great fight.”

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One year ago, WBO junior featherweight world champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete was a relatively unknown title challenger. He is now one of the world’s premier fighters and boxing’s most active world champion.

Navarrete (30-1, 26 KOs) knocked out Francisco “Panchito” Horta in the fourth round at Auditorio GNP Seguros in Puebla, defending his title for the fourth time in seven months. He has won 25 consecutive fight dating back to 2012.

Horta (20-4-1, 10 KOs) saw his 13-bout unbeaten streak come to an end. Navarrete dethroned Isaac Dogboe to win the title last December and knocked out all four of his opponents in 2019, including in May’s rematch versus Dogboe.

“I feel very happy to have been able to defend my title in front of my people. December 8 will be my one-year anniversary as a world champion, and I can’t be happier with everything I achieved this year. It was a very productive 2019,” Navarrete said. “All the sacrifices I’ve made have been worth it. I have seen the improvement after each fight, and I want to continue improving so 2020 will be even better. That is why I will continue to work hard.”

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☑️Upcoming WBO World Title Bouts:

💥November 30 – Undisputed WBO Welterweight Female Champion Cecilia Braekhus Vs. Victoria Noelia Bustos @ Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

💥November 30 – WBO Bantamweight World Champion Zolani Tete Vs. John Riel Casimero @ Arena Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom.

💥December 7 – Unified WBO Heavyweight Champion Andy Ruiz Vs. Anthony Joshua @ Diriyah Arena, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

💥December 7 – WBO Jr. Featherweight World Champion Emanuel Navarrete Vs. Francisco Horta @ Auditorio GNP Seguros, Puebla, Mexico.

💥December 14 – WBO Welterweight World Champion Terence Crawford Vs. Egidijus Kavaliauskas @ Madison Square Garden, New York, USA.

💥December 14 – WBO Jr. Flyweight Female Champion Tenkai Tsunami Vs. Jessebelle Pagaduan @ Uchinoura Ginga Arena, Kimotsuki -cho, Kagoshima, Japan.

💥December 31 – WBO Jr. Bantamweight Female World Champion Miyo Yoshida Vs. Li Ping Shi @ Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan.

💥December 31 – WBO Flyweight World Champion Kosei Tanaka Vs. Wulan Tuolehazi @ Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan.

💥December 31 – WBO Jr. Bantamweight World Champion Kazuto Ioka Vs. Jeyvier Cintron @ Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan.

💥January 10, 2020 – For vacant WBO Jr. Middleweight Female Championship Claressa Shields Vs. Ivana Habazin @ Ocean Resort Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

💥February 1, 2020 – Unified Jr. Welterweight Champion Jose Ramirez Vs. Viktor Postol @ Mission Hills Haikou, Haikou, China.

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It’s official. WBO Jr. Featherweight world champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, one of the most exciting fighters in boxing, will be making his third defense in five months on December 7 at the 10,000+ seat Auditorio GNP Seguros in the city of Puebla (about two hours east of Mexico City). Navarrete (29-1, 25 KOs) will defend against WBO #13 rated Francisco “Panchito” Horta (20-3-1, 10 KOs).

Both fighters attended a kick-off press conference today.

Emanuel Navarrete: I always go for the knockout, I think it’s best to win by knockout and on December 7 the people of Puebla will see a great fight!”

Francisco Horta: ”On December 7th people will know me. Expect a war, we are going for the championship of the world!”

Zanfer Promotions also announced that on the same evening, female flyweight stars Gabriela “Bonita” Sanchez (6-3) and Silvia “Guerrerita” Torres (20-1-2, 7 KOs) will clash in an interesting fight as both are coming off world title fights.

ESPN+ is expected to show Navarrete-Horta in the USA, while Azteca 7, la Casa del Boxeo, will air the fight in Mexico.

Via https://fightnews.com/navarrete-horta-announced-for-dec-7/60688

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WBO Jr. Featherweight World Champion Emanuel Navarrete honored at 22nd WBO Golf Tournament

GUAYAMA, Puerto Rico – Current Junior Featherweight Champion Emanuel ‘El Vaquero’ Navarrete was recognized by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) today, during the 22nd Annual WBO Golf Tournament at ‘El Legado Golf Club’ in Guayama. This edition of the annual golf competition serves as preamble to the Thirty-Second Annual WBO Convention, which will be held in the city of Tokyo, Japan, from December 2 until Thursday, December 5, 2019.

Navarrete, who has successfully defended his title three times this year, winning all by knockout said, “I’m very happy to be here in Puerto Rico with the WBO. I will continue working hard to continue defending the title and I hope to continue climbing divisions. I hope to continue fighting for the WBO as they were the first to give me the opportunity to be world champion.”

“When I mentioned on social media that Navarrete is the best 122 pounds in the world, many criticized me but now time proved me right,” said WBO president Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcárcel Mulero. “Navarrete has the punch of Wilfredo Gómez when he was at 122 pounds and we know he will continue to give much to talk about. The sky is the limit for him.”

Winners of the Golf tournament:

Five-time World Champion Miguel Cotto won second place in the Net category and Gino Rodriguez, WBO Vice President won ‘The Straightest Shot’.

Meanwhile, in the ‘Gross’ category, Jonathan Rodriguez won first place, Angel Woods took second place and Francisco Martinez took third place.

In addition, the Sportsmanship Award went to Andrew Horn, Esq.

WBO executive officers, promoters, managers, boxers and other boxing personalities worldwide participated in the tournament.

The event was to benefit the successful global program ‘WBO Kids Drug Free’.

WBO Kids Drug Free is an international program aimed at children and young people in order to carry a message of drug prevention and motivate them to continue studying, using sports as a tool to stay on the right path, as well that support causes directed to those in need in order to ensure a better quality of life.

This Saturday, October 26, ‘WBO Champions Tournament’ continues at Rubén Zayas Coliseum in the city of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, where WBO Mini-Flyweight World Champion Wilfredo Méndez will make his first title defense against Mexican Axel Aragon.

In other WBO bouts, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games gold medal Felix Diaz (20-3, 10 KOs), of Dominican Republic, will face Mexican Darío Fermán (18-6, 15 KOs ) for the vacant WBO Latino Welterweight title.

Dominican Yenifel Vicente (35-4-2, 27 KOs) faces Mexican Rodolfo Hernández (30-7-1, 28 kos) for the WBO Latino Jr. Featherweight title, and Dominican Frency Fortunato (7-0, 6 kos) faces Mexican Marcos Muñiz (14-0, 11 kos) for the WBO Youth Jr. Featherweight belt.

For more information related to the WBO Convention, access: www.wboboxing.com

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WBO ‘CHAMPIONS TOURNAMENT’ SERIES; Amanda Serrano will be honored; Golf tournament with boxing stars & Legends

CAGUAS, PUERTO RICO- For three boxing events during the month of October, the World Boxing Organization will serve as a link to give Puerto Rican talent a chance when conducting its “Champions Tournament” which will have several important scepters at play and help build the shoe for what will come in 2020.

It will have its headquarters on October 4 at the Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida, immediately followed on October 5 at the Pedrín Zorrilla Coliseum in San Juan,PR and culminating on the 26th at the Rubén Zayas Montañez Coliseum in Trujillo Alto,PR.

“Near the WBO Convention we always do a‘ Champions Tournament ”. We did it in Panama in 2018 and we have done it in Puerto Rico, in Orlando, in Miami. But being the convention this year in Japan (December 2-5), we wanted to do something as usual in the Caribbean, ”said WBO President Francisco ‘Paco’Valcárcel.

“We will have four championship fights as part of that tournament, starting on October 4 in Kissimmee with Yomar Álamo (17-0 with 12 KO’s) against Mexican Antonio Morán (24-4 with 17 KO’s) for WBO NABO Jr. Welterweight title. Subsequently, we have Danielito Zorrilla (12-0 with 10 KO’s) against the Aztec Jesus Perez (23-2 with 18 KO’s) for the WBO NABO interim Jr. Welterweight title with the idea that the winner there will face the winner between Álamo and Morán in a unifying fight for the NABO title by the beginning of 2020 ”.

As if that were not enough, the Miguel Cotto Promotions cartel on October 5 will have a second championship fight when the Nicaraguan Carlos Buitrago faces the Puerto Rican Israel Vázquez for the vacant WBO Latino Jr. Flyweight title. The tournament will then end on October 26 with the Spartan Boxing cartel, in which Wilfredo ‘Bimbito’ Méndez will defend his WBO World Mini-Flyweight crown for the first time.

The ambitious tournament presented by the World Boxing Organization of the event on Saturday, October 5, where Danielito Zorrilla faces Jesús Antonio Pérez will be seen exclusively in Puerto Rico for DIRECTV clients on channel 161

“We are very happy with the opportunity that Paco Valcarcel and the entire World Boxing Organization gives us to be part of this great championship tournament and more which will be live television throughout Puerto Rico on DIRECTV where we will have our most important boxer Danielito Zorrilla in his most important fight. Without a doubt, the champions tournament is a very important platform for all the promoters and boxers that will participate, it is the beginning of great opportunities for big fights, ”said promoter and vice president of Miguel Cotto Promotions, Héctor Soto.

Amanda Serrano will be honored:

As part of the festivities, the female world champion in seven divisions, Amanda Serrano, will be present in Kissimmee and San Juan, where she will be honored after being crowned recently as the new WBO Jr. Featherweight monarch.

“Amanda Serrano will be with us. She wants to dedicate her triumph to the Puerto Rican community. She will be first in Kissimmee on October 4. From there, Amanda flies to Puerto Rico to be on October 5 at Coliseum Pedrín Zorrilla, where she will be given her new champion belt at 126 pounds, ”said Valcárcel.

“She is going to stay in Puerto Rico for a couple more days because she turns 9 on October 9 and from there she will return to the United States because she has to continue training for the MMA fight that she has on the agenda soon.”

Golf tournament with boxing stars

To conclude the festivities, the WBO will host a golf tournament in “El Legado” in Guayama with the participation of several pugilisms, legends, as well as several of the best local fighters today.

“Before the October 26 card, we will have a golf tournament on October 24 with local boxers, trainers to share with professional boxing stars, such as Miguel Cotto, Oscar de la Hoya and Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright, as well as Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions. They could be joined by others, such as Jaime Mungía (WBO World Jr. Middleweight Champion) and Emanuel Navarrete (WBO World Jr. Featherweight Champion). Some are still to be confirmed, ”added Valcárcel.

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WBO Jr. Featherweight champion Emanuel ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete 29-1 (25) successfully defended his world title with a fourth-round TKO of game but outgunned Juan Miguel Elorde 28-2 (15) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.

The fight was the main support bout to the heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Otto Wallin.

The Philippines Elorde, 32, start well and showed no fear of the big-punching Mexican champion, ripping in shots to the body in the opening round.

But Navarrete came roaring back in the second stanza, landing some hard shots on the challenger.

The left hook was the money punch for Navarrete, knocking down Elorde in round three before finishing him off in the fourth.

The time of the stoppage was 0:26.

“I’m happy because I think I put on a great performance,” said the 24-year-old Navarrete.

“Fortunately, my opponent is OK, and I came out here to put on a show. I hope the fans enjoyed it on my very first Las Vegas show on Mexican Independence Day Weekend. ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete is here to stay.

“The most important thing here was that it was a good performance for me. I think the referee did the right thing. He’s going to go home to his family, and everything is going to be OK.

“It was a good performance on my behalf and he gave what he could. At the end of the day, I came away with the hard-fought victory.”

Via https://www.ringnews24.com/2019/09/16/emanuel-navarrete-impresses-in-four-round-war-against-juan-miguel-elorde/

Photo Mikey Williams Top Rank

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Emanuel Navarrete will make the third defense of this WBO junior featherweight title against Juan Miguel Elorde, grandson of the late Filipino boxing icon “Flash” Elorde. Navarrete last fought August 17, knocking out Francisco De Vaca in the third round.

Former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza will make his 140-pound debut against former world title challenger Jose Zepeda in a 10-rounder, former super flyweight world champion Carlos Cuadras will battle the upset-minded Jose Maria Cardenas, and 19-year-old lightweight sensation Gabriel Flores Jr. will face Miguel Angel Aispuro in a bout scheduled for eight or six rounds.

This is what the fighters had to say.

Bob Arum

On Navarrete

“If you’re a fighter, you want to fight as much as possible. This kid here, if he could, {if it wasn’t for} injuries and so forth, would fight eight times a year and be happy.”

Emanuel Navarrete

“I was very surprised {to get the offer to fight on short notice}, but I knew it was a great opportunity so we took it. My mentality was I had to train harder and not take a long break because we knew the opportunity that was in front of us.”

“I want to thank Bob Arum. He gave me the opportunity to fight for the title against {Isaac} Dogboe, then the rematch, then De Vaca. Now I’m here, a big card. I just want to tell {Bob}, if he lets me, I want to fight in December, too. I will give it my all and show everyone I’m doing things the right way.”

“I want to do my best at 122 {pounds}, and the biggest thing in the division is to unify titles. If my body permits it, I’m going to stay here and unify titles. But if not, I am going to move up, and I have a great career in front of me.”

Juan Miguel Elorde

“It’s a big opportunity, a great experience for me. I’d like to thank everyone for giving me this chance.”

On taking the fight on short notice

“We’re ready because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. When they called, we accepted the challenge because every boxer wants to be a world champion.”

“This is my dream, to become a world champion. I think it’s coming to reality. Thank you, Mr. Bob Arum.”

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Being a world champion is a dream that Emanuel Navarrete has already fulfilled. But this Saturday, he will fulfill another.

“I always wanted to fight in Las Vegas, as a world champion, on a national weekend. Thank God, I will be given this opportunity n Saturday,” Navarrete said shortly before closing his preparation in Tijuana.

The “Cowboy” Navarrete (28-1-0, 24 KOs) will defend for the third time his WBO super bantamweight world championship, against Filipino contender Juan Miguel Elorde (28-1, 15 KOs), in the fabulous T-Mobile Arena of Las Vegas.

Navarrete travels to Las Vegas motivated and with the illusion of giving the Mexican fans a great show, and of course, a memorable victory.

“I am facing a very strong opponent, from a boxing family like Elorde, and he has a lot of quality, but we have done a great preparation and we are going to bring the belt back home,” Navarrete said.

Although the show is headlined by undefeated heavyweights Tyson Fury (28-0-1, 20 KO’s) and Otto Wallin (20-0, 13 KO’s), Navarrete is aware that the Mexican fans’ eyes will be on their countrymen.

“It is a great motivation and it is very special at this time in my career that I am considered to present Mexico in showcased fight in Las Vegas, it is a dream come true,” said the boxer born in San Juan Zitlaltepec.

By Rafael Soto / BoxingScene.com

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WBO junior featherweight champion Emanuel Navarrete (28-1, 24 KOs) will face WBO #2 Juan Miguel Elorde (28-1, 15 KOs) September 14 on the card headlined by the heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Otto Wallin at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. ESPN, which will air the card on the ESPN+ platform, made the announcement on their website.

Navarrete is returning just four weeks after stopping Francisco De Vaca in three rounds. The 32-year-old Elorde is the grandson of former legendary WBC/WBA super featherweight world champion and Boxing Hall of Famer Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.

Photo by Mikey Williams

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WBO World Jr. Featherweight Champion Emanuel ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete is now one of the sport’s elite. Navarrete knocked out the previously unbeaten Francisco “Panchito” De Vaca in three rounds Saturday evening in front of 3,944 fans in the first-ever boxing card at Banc of California Stadium.

Navarrete (28-1, 24 KOs), who upset Isaac Dogboe to win the title and then defeated him in an immediate rematch, knocked down De Vaca (20-1, 6 KOs) in the second round and forced the referee to stop the fight after dishing out a sustained beating in the third.

“I want to thank my supporters, and second of all, I want to continue the tradition of Mexican boxing in Los Angeles. `I want to fill arenas and follow in the footsteps of Mexican legends,” Navarrete said. “I’m talking to {Top Rank} about fighting September 14 on the Tyson Fury card in Las Vegas. I want to thank Bob Arum and Zanfer Promotions for the opportunity.”

WBO President Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcárcel,Esq: “With all due respect to the other title holders in the 122 lbs. division, after his dominant knockout victory tonight I am more than convinced that Emanuel Navarrete 🇲🇽 is the best fighter in that weight class”

Said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum: “He’s Mexican. He’s proud to be Mexican. September 14 is Mexican Independence Day Weekend, and the best fighter in Mexico will be there defending his title.”

Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank

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The press conference overlooked the new crown jewel of Los Angeles soccer, the year-old Banc of California Stadium, home to Major League Soccer’s LAFC. Tomorrow, the inaugural boxing card will take place at the stadium, headlined by Emanuel Navarrete’s WBO junior featherweight title defense against unbeaten challenger Francisco De Vaca (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET).

At the Banc of California Stadium’s Founders Club, this is what the fighters had to say.

Emanuel Navarrete

“The reality is that my life has changed a lot in these last eight months. The fact that I have become world champion and that I have won over a wide margin to Isaac Dogboe, who came from beating Jessie Magdaleno, makes me very happy. I feel very satisfied with the results we have achieved for the hard work we have done in recent months.”

“The truth is that it doesn’t matter who is my opponent. I always prepare 100% for each of my fights, and this was no exception. We already did the hard work in the gym, and we are ready for a great fight. If De Vaca comes to fight hard, I am prepared to go even harder. I’m ready to give a great battle to all the fans.”

“I’ve said it several times already: If the other champions of the division don’t want to accept the challenge of unifying titles, I will be moving up to the featherweight division. If everything goes well on Saturday, maybe I will make another fight in the super bantamweight division, but if I don’t get a unification fight, I would go up to 126 pounds.”

Francisco De Vaca

“I’m grateful for this opportunity. I’m ready! I wanted to fight for a world title since I was 5 years old, and now that we have the opportunity, we are going to make our dream come true this Saturday. Come Saturday, there will be a new world champ for Phoenix and Michoacán. I’m coming for that world title.”

On his first 12-round fight

“I feel like I’m debuting all over again. We are ready! I’m going to give everyone a great show. I’ve focused on preparing very well mentally because physically I’m always ready. You will see that come Saturday night.”

ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Emanuel Navarrete vs. Francisco De Vaca, 12 rounds, Navarrete’s WBO junior featherweight world title

Jessie Magdaleno vs. Rafael Rivera, 10 rounds, featherweight

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT

Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Ricky Sismundo, 10 rounds, super lightweight

Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Stuart McLellan, 10 rounds, Alimkhanuly’s WBC Continental Americas and WBO Global titles

Chris van Heerden vs. Aslanbek Kozaev, 10 rounds, welterweight

Javier Molina vs. Manuel Mendez, 8 rounds, super lightweight

Dmitry Yun vs. Javier Martinez, 6 rounds, lightweight

Brian Mendoza vs. Rosemberg Gomez, 8 rounds, welterweight

Elvis Rodriguez vs. Jesus Gonzales, 6 rounds, super lightweight

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions and Iron Boy Promotions, tickets priced at $100, $80, $70, $60, $45 and $25 (not including applicable fees) are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 and in person at the Banc of California Stadium box office.

For more information, visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

Use the hashtags #NavarreteDeVaca and #MagdalenoRivera to join the conversation on social media.

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El flamante campeón mundial Jr. Pluma de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), el mexicano Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, defenderá por segunda vez su título, el próximo sábado en Los Ángeles, y su retador será un joven invicto, hambriento y de gran técnica y velocidad.

Navarrete (27-1-0, 23 ko’s) le dará la oportunidad soñada al michoacano radicado en Arizona, Francisco de Vaca (20-0-0, 6 ko’s), este sábado 17, encabezando una espectacular función de Zanfer y Top Rank que será transmitida en territorio mexicano por Azteca 7, la Casa del Boxeo.

El “Vaquero” hará la segunda defensa de su cetro, luego de par de victorias consecutivas sobre Isaac Dogboe. Para De Vaca, será no sólo su primera oportunidad titular, sino su primera pelea estelar, y lo hará ante un campeón sólido y en el mejor momento de su carrera.

Será el clásico duelo de estrategias entre un campeón del mundo agresivo, que le gusta fajarse, que buscará la pelea en corto y que será constante soltando combinaciones, ante un retador de velocidad, de desplazamientos, que basará su táctica en el contragolpe y que intentará mantener alejado en todo momento a su adversario.

Navarrete y su equipo de trabajo estarán desde mañana en Los Ángeles, donde cerrará su preparación con entrenamientos ligeros, de soltura, pues la parte fuerte la finalizó el pasado viernes, y el peso no es un factor que preocupe a su equipo de trabajo.

“Panchito” De Vaca es un joven que desde su etapa amateur demostró una gran calidad sobre el ring, destacando a nivel nacional en Estados Unidos, y a pesar de haber nacido en Michoacán, toda su carrera la ha hecho en suelo estadounidense.

Con el mismo equipo de trabajo de Navarrete viaja el tijuanense Rafael “Big Bang” Rivera (27-3-2, 18 ko’s), quien a pesar de que ya disputó un título mundial ante Leo Santa Cruz, en la misma velada sostendrá la pelea más importante de su carrera hasta el momento, pues se enfrenta al ex campeón Jessie Magdaleno (26-1-0, 18 ko’s), y una victoria lo pondría en la antesala de disputar un cetro del mundo en las 126 libras.

SEMANA DE LA PELEA
Este jueves a a las 12:00 hrs se efectuará la conferencia de prensa final el Field Club del Banc of California Stadium en Los Angeles.

Viernes a las 13:00 hrs en el hotel Intercontinental se efectuará la ceremonia de pesaje oficial.

Sábado 15:30 inicia el primer combate en el Banc of California Stadium.

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WBO Jr. Featherweight champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete (27-1, 23 KOs) is training hard in Tijuana for his August 17 world title defense against Francisco De Vaca (20-0, 6 KOs), to take place at the new Bank of California Stadium in Los Ángeles. Navarrete’s performance, endurance are impressive and his weight is even lower than expected ten days away from the official weigh-in.

“I feel very strong with a lot of lung capacity,” said Navarrete. “We’re willing to fight at full pace for 12 rounds. My opponent is a young fighter, undefeated, with a lot of hunger to win. He’ll be dangerous, but we’ll climb into the ring with full focus and preparation to keep the championship.”

Via: https://fightnews.com/navarrete-poised-to-retain-wbo-super-bantam-title/51063

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The soccer field will become a fistic battleground Saturday, August 17, as WBO junior featherweight champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete will make the second defense of his title against the undefeated Francisco “Panchito” De Vaca.

Navarrete-De Vaca will headline the inaugural fight card at the year-old stadium and will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Promotions and Iron Boy Promotions, tickets priced at $100, $80, $70, $60, $45 and $25 (not including applicable fees) go on sale Tuesday, July 16 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 and in person at the Banc of California Stadium box office.

Navarrete (27-1, 23 KOs) has won 22 consecutive bouts dating back to 2012, but his breakthrough came last December when he upset Isaac “Royal Storm” Dogboe via unanimous decision to win the WBO junior featherweight title. Five months later, in Tucson, Arizona, he repeated the deed, this time knocking out Dogboe in the 12th round. A native of San Juan Zitlaltepec, Mexico, Navarrete had a reported 108-7 record in the amateur ranks and comes from a family of fighters. His uncle, Pedro Navarrete Sr., and two of his cousins, Pedro Navarrete Jr. and Johnny Navarrete, fought as professionals.

De Vaca (20-0, 6 KOs) was born in Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico, and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, as a small child. All but one of De Vaca’s pro fights have taken place in the Phoenix area, where he has developed into one of the region’s most popular attractions. The 24-year-old boxer-puncher made his Top Rank debut last August in Glendale, Arizona, outlasting Jesus Serrano by unanimous decision in a crowd-pleasing brawl. He last fought in February at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, where he shut out Ernesto Guerrero over eight rounds.

“This is a great opportunity to defend my title against an exciting fighter like De Vaca,” Navarrete said. “I’ve worked hard to prove myself as a true champion, and I won’t let anyone take that away from me. It’s going to be a great night outside in Los Angeles, and whenever you have two Mexicans in the ring, you can expect a battle.”

“This is the fight of my life,” De Vaca said. “I am going to show my Mexican heart and prove to the world that I belong on the world stage. I’m not going to talk any trash. I have a lot of respect for Emanuel Navarrete, but his reign will end on August 17.”

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