Mexican star Emanuel Navarrete is set to battle Australian contender Liam Wilson for the vacant WBO junior lightweight title this Friday night. They will meet in Glendale, Arizona at Desert Diamond Arena on ESPN and ESPN+.
This fight comes as a huge upset because Navarrete was originally slated to meet former two-division champion Oscar Valdez, but Valdez pulled out due to injury.
Date
The WBO junior lightweight title will be on the line this Friday, February 3, when Mexican dynamo Emanuel Navarrete fights Australian contender Liam Wilson. The pair are scheduled to go head-to-head in a 12 round main event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on ESPN and ESPN+.
The 26-year-old Wilson is on a nine-fight winning streak that includes two world titles. He won the WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight Title in March 2022 and then avenged a loss to Joe Noynay with a second-round knockout eight months later.
While Navarrete is a heavy favorite at -2000 odds, Wilson is an overwhelming underdog at +900 with BetMGM’s online sportsbook. Wilson has only 12 professional fights to his credit, but has never fought outside Australia.
Time
Mexican two-division world champion Emanuel Navarrete will face Australian contender Liam Wilson for the vacant WBO super featherweight title on Friday night at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The fight will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN+.
Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete has an impressive record of 36 wins and 1 loss, with 30 of those coming by knock out. He is a tough, hard hitting, boxer who utilises an orthodox stance and throws a blitz of jabs before setting up his power punches behind them.
Emanuel Navarrete has become a big name in the boxing world since winning the WBO junior featherweight title in 2018 from Isaac Dogboe, and he has held it ever since. However, he has been matched against weak opposition in recent times and faces an unknown opponent in Australian Liam Wilson this weekend.
Venue
Mexican boxing sensation Emanuel Navarrete will face Australia’s Liam Wilson in a battle for the WBO junior lightweight world title. The fight will be live on ESPN Friday night at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Presented by AutoZone, the event is expected to draw an estimated audience of around 50,000. The 10-round junior welterweight co-feature features Arnold Barboza Jr. (27-0, 10 KOs) and Jose “Sniper” Pedraza (29-4-1, 14 KOs).
In the opening round of the event, Mexico’s Navarrete will make his return to the 126-pound division against Australian challenger Wilson. The lanky volume-puncher first won the world title at 122 pounds but will move up four pounds this time and will be heavily favored to become a three-division champion.
Predictions
Navarrete vs Wilson is the first fight of a big card that Top Rank is promoting. It will be an exciting clash between two fighters who are looking to claim the vacant super featherweight title.
The Mexican Emanuel Navarrete has a hugely impressive record and is very much the favourite to win this match. He is 36-1, and 30 of his wins have come by knockout.
On the other hand, Liam Wilson is a 26-year-old Australian boxer with an impressive 11-1 record. He made his professional debut in June 2018 and had a dream start, scoring first-round knockouts against Ricky Curline and Iwan Sanca.
The fight is a huge one for Wilson, and it would be a career-changer if he could pull off this upset. He’s got a terrific body shot arsenal and is used to the heaviness of the 130-pound weight class, but we don’t see him being able to pick Navarrete apart. He’ll likely be beaten up for most of the fight.
