“WIN at all costs.”
This was the marching order of former Ilocos Sur. Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson to former amateur standout Charly Suarez in his once-in-a-lifetime crack at Mexican World Boxing Organization super featherweight champion Emmanuel Navarrete on May 5.
“Dapat talaga win at all costs. Mahirap ang pinagdaananan para makuha ang laban kay Navarrete,” said Singson yesterday during the Philippine Sportwriters Association Forum of the challenges he faced in convincing Top Rank boss Bob Arum, who handles Navarrete, to accept the fight.
According to Singson, negotiations finally gained traction only after Suarez’s third-round knockout of American Jorge Castaneda last September at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, California.
The former shooting chief and intimate friend of former eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao revealed that negotiations with the shrewd American promoter took some time before Arum finally agreed to allow Suarez, no longer a spring chicken at 36, to challenge the younger Navarrete, 30, for his WBO super featherweight belt.
“Sabi ko nga kay Charly ako ang manager mo na walang suweldo at walang porsiyento,” quipped Singson while seated with Suarez, who came with coach Delfin Boholst, and the governor’s right hand boxing man, Fil-Am Ricky Navalta.
Singson said his only desire is for Suarez to be like Pacquiao, who also once held the world super featherweight belt, to bring home the bacon, although there would never be a local fighter like Pacman.
“Kung magaya lang ni Charly si Manny. Pero, kung tutuusin wala talagang makakagaya kay Pacman in a million years.”
Suarez, a former four-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and the first national amateur boxer to turn pro, vowed to make the most of the golden opportunity in the public sports program backed by the PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, San Miguel Corp. Smart/PLDT, Milo, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.
“Matagal namin hinintay ang pagkakataong ito at di namin maaring palampasin. Salamat, unang-una sa lahat, kay Lord at kay Gov. Answered prayer,” Suarez, a renewed Christian, said.
The boxer said that he learned his lesson after his Olympic debut in the 2016 Rio Summer Games, where he exited in the first round of the lightweight division after losing 1-2 to Briton Joe Cordina.
“Sayang ‘yung pagkakataong ‘yon na hindi nakapag-medalya. Marami akong leksiyon dun kaya alam kong napakahalaga itong pagkatoon ibinigay sa aking,” said Suarez, who is unbeaten in 18 pro fights, 10 of them by knockout.
With a record of 39 wins (32 KOs) against two losses and one draw, Navarrete is no pushover, having earned his reputation as a Filipino “killer” by beating all four Pinoy foes he has previously faced.
Boholst said that he has broken down and analyzed all of those fights and believes that he and Suarez have cracked the code in beating the Mexican “pero hindi ko sabihin dito kung paano.”
A former national boxer like Suarez, he observed that “’yung Mexicano mabagal sa umpisa pero gumagaling habang tumatagal. Parang si Charly rin. Kaya susubukan namin siya maaga pa lang.”
Despite the boxer’s age, Boholst believes that Suarez has the knockout power, speed and skills to blunt the power-punching defending champion.
The trainer said that the fighter has had five sparring partners, including himself, and they all felt how hard Suarez could hit while they trained in Tagaytay for the last two weeks while living in Singson’s plush mansion overlooking Taal Lake.
Navalta, who was tasked by Singson to handle most of the talks leading to the title fight, also put his faith in the Filipino challenger, saying: “He (Suarez) may look meek but really is a tiger in the ring.
“I know that it (the victory) is going to happen and I will be very proud to come home with a champion.”
Navalta said Suarez and Boholst, who are set to leave the country on April 16, will set up a training camp in Las Vegas to acclimatize and then head to San Diego for the fight.
