IF the California State Athletic Commission rules in his favor, Filipino contender Charly Suarez would only be too willing to face World Boxing Organization junior lightweight champ Emanuel Navarrete of Mexico in a rematch.
“Kapag pabor ang naging decision para sa akin ng California State Athletics Commission, siyempre bibigyan namin si Navarrete ng rematch kasi binibigyan din niya ako ng pagkakataon na kalabanin siya,” Suarez said yesterday with his patron, Luis “Chavit” Singson, by his side.
During a press conference held at the former IIocos Sur governor’s plush Corinthian Gardens home in Quezon City, the Pinoy slugger reiterated that he could have won the match had ring officials allowed it to resume after the ring doctor halted the fight when Navarrete suffered a nasty cut on his left eyebrow in the seventh round due to an alleged head butt.
This prompted American referee Ed Collantes to stop the fight so that it went to the three referees’ scorecards, which showed that Navarrete was slightly ahead, resulting in the dubious unanimous decision technical decision win that enabled the embattled Mexican to regain his crown.
A video replay of the match, however, clearly showed that it was actually a left hook that caused the cut and not a headbutt, which, according to pro boxing rules, should have awarded the erstwhile unbeaten Suarez a victory by technical knockout.
Given this piece of evidence, Suarez’s manager, Ric Navalta, who was also at the briefing, filed a protest the next day and the CSAC is scheduled to hear and rule on the case on June 2.
The bout was held last May 11 (May 12 in Manila) at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Various reports in the US said the California boxing body is inclined to overturn the controversial verdict, declaring it either a no-contest or a TKO triumph for the Filipino, paving the way for a second encounter between the two.
Singson, who had worked laboriously with Top Rank boss Bob Arum to nail down Suarez’s title bid, did not mince words, saying: “Mukhang na-Mafia tayo at nadaya si Charly. Malinaw na malinaw na suntok at hindi head butt ang nangyari.”
Suarez’s trainer and former national amateur teammate Delfin Boholst said he is confident that his prized ward would have prevailed had the match continued, seeing that Navarrete was growing weaker with every round.
“Bloated ‘yung Mexicano sabi nung doktor at nakita ko na halos matumba siya sa weigh-in nung hindi niya kaaagad nakuha ‘yung timbang ng 130 pounds maski na naghubad na siya,” said Boholst, who was at the official weigh-in of the two boxers.
“Naninawala kami na may pag-asang manalo si Charly kasi humihina na si Navarrete habang tumatagal ang laban,” noted Boholst, although he admitted the Pinoy challenger had taken punishment at the hands of the Mexican in the first two rounds.
Singson said there were rumors that Navarrete might go up in weight and give up the WBO junior lightweight belt after finding it hard to meet the 130-pound weight limit.
Suarez and Boholst said they are prepared for any eventuality.
But Navalta was guardedly optimistic that whatever the CSAC’s ruling might be, a rematch was a near-certainty.
“The rematch should be immediate. If it is determined that if there is a mandatory rematch, it should be immediate. it means the two-month cooling-off period, then the match,” he stressed. “I think that at the end of the day, that is something that has to happen.
“Regardless of what happens on June 2, everybody is going to be in favor of a rematch. That is going to be the next fight.”
