Charly Suarez believes WBO is snubbing him in Emanuel Navarrete rematch

The fight game is often brutal, but for Filipino boxer Charly Suarez, the real pain isn’t coming from a clean punch, but from what he and his camp believe is a brazen political snub orchestrated right under the nose of the World Boxing Organization (WBO).

The 37-year-old veteran is sounding the alarm, accusing power brokers of intentionally freezing him out of a mandated rematch against WBO Super-Featherweight champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete. 

The core of the controversy centers on Top Rank, Navarrete’s promoter, which is reportedly advancing plans for a high-stakes unification showdown between the Mexican champion and countryman Eduardo Nuñez. 

The proposed clash is slated for February 28 in Arizona, a move Suarez’s representative, Ricardo Navalta, has branded as a “low blow.”

“We respect the sport, but the mandatory challenger cannot be moved aside while unification plans advance,” Navalta said. “The ABC [Association of Boxing Commissions] rule is clear, the CSAC’s [California State Athletic Commission] ruling is clear, and the WBO’s order is clear. What’s not clear is why we have received no response while another fight is being planned without our agreement.”

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Navarrete gets cut by accidental headbutt by Charly Suarez but this looks like it was just a punch 🤔 pic.twitter.com/pJZnntq7Ms

— TstreeT Controversy (@TstreeT_Contro) May 11, 2025

Navalta and the Suarez team argue that the entire scenario undermines the WBO’s stated authority. Even after the governing body affirmed that Navarrete was mandated to face Suarez again, Top Rank appears poised to proceed, treating the official ruling as a mere suggestion.

The controversy stems from the original clash last May in San Diego when the bout ended prematurely after a cut opened on Navarrete’s left eyebrow. 

Referee Ed Collantes mistakenly ruled the injury was caused by an accidental clash of heads, leading to the scorecards being tallied and Navarrete being awarded a technical decision victory by scores of 77-76, 78-75, and 77-76.

However, justice, or at least clarification, seemed to arrive when the CSAC thoroughly reviewed the footage and they ruled that the cut was caused by a perfectly legal left blow from Suarez. 

The CSAC overturned the result to a No-Contest (NC), a ruling that, according to the ABC’s regulatory guidelines, should have carried a much heavier consequence for the champion.

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