As Expected, Navarrete Steamrolls Lopez in their Studio Fight in Mexico City

Emanuel Navarrete, the reigning WBO super bantamweight champion, was a candidate for the 2019 Boxer of the Year, and would have likely won it if his competition had been stronger. Tonight, he was again a bottom-feeder, feasting on Uriel Lopez (who was 13-13-1 heading in and had lost three straight) in a bout that marked Navarrete’s debut as a featherweight. The bout was held at the TV Azteca Studio in Mexico City with COVID-19 protocols in place and televised live on ESPN.

Navarrete, who had an 8-inch reach advantage, put away Lopez in the sixth round with a body shot. It was his second knockdown, the first coming in the previous round and that also was produced by a body shot. Lopez could have likely got up and continued fighting, but he was taking a beating and there was no point in continuing. It goes into the books as a TKO at 2:22 of round six.

Weak opposition notwithstanding, Navarrete (32-1, 28 KOs) is very good. He’s big for his weight and has a big wingspan and puts his combinations together nicely when he gets in his rhythm. His fan-friendly style invites comparisons to the pre-scandal and prime Antonio Margarito, says TSS writer Ted Sares, except that Navarrete is more technically sound.

Emanuel Navarrete won the WBO title from Isaac Dogboe in Philadelphia and then crammed five title defenses into 231 days, winning all five by stoppage. His win tonight was his 27^th straight.

Other Bouts

A featherweight contest slated for 10 rounds produced an upset when Edwin Palomares scored a fifth- round stoppage of Carlos Ornelas. Palomares, who fought with what looked like a pink mop on his head (but was probably just his hair) entered the contest with a 12-2-1 record and had scored only three knockouts in his 15 fights, but he took the starch out Ornelas with a non-stop attack and Ornelas’s corner eventually threw in the towel. Ornelas, who had fought primarily in Tijuana in his home state of Baja, declined to 25-3.

In a featherweight contest slated for eight rounds, Oaxaca’s Sergio Sanchez (15-1, 9 KOs) scored a highlight reel knockout over Gustavo Alan Pina (8-3). Sanchez dropped Pina for an 8-count in round one and closed the show in the third stanza with a short left-hook to the jaw. Pina was unconscious before he hit the floor.

In a spirited 6-round flyweight contest Ivan Armando Garcia improved to 6-0 with a unanimous decision over Roberto Palomares (5-5-1). Garcia suffered a cut over his left eye in round four from an apparent head butt and fought with more vigor after the incident. Roberto is the cousin of Edwin Palomares.

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The previous shows in ESPN’s Top Rank summer series have run very smoothly from a production standpoint, remarkable considering all the challenges. Last night’s telecast, however, with Joe Tessitore missing and Bernardo Osuna in the unaccustomed role of lead commentator, was disjointed and it didn’t help that it got off on the wrong foot when the UFC event that preceded it ran late.

But having said that, hooray for the return of live boxing during these difficult times.

Photo credit: Zanfer Promotions

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